Tragedy struck Thursday morning when Gogni Rajope Construction, Director, Eng. Justus Juma died by suicide at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices located at Lake Basin Mall along the Kisumu–Kakamega highway.
According to police reports, Eng. Juma, a former Nyanza Provincial Roads Engineer, jumped from the second floor of the building, sustaining fatal head injuries. Witnesses said he had earlier parked his car at the premises and handed the keys to a security guard, asking that his son be given the vehicle.
Kisumu Central Sub-County Deputy Police Commander Bakari Mwanauli confirmed the incident, saying:
“We received information from a security guard that the deceased had jumped from the second floor. He left his car keys with the guard for his son to pick up the car.”
Police and DCI officers visited the scene, and the body was taken to Aga Khan Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Reports from some staff members at Juma’s construction firm indicate he had been distressed over unpaid government contracts and alleged tax arrears running into millions of shillings. However, KRA has strongly denied claims linking the tragedy to any tax disputes.
In a statement, the authority said:
“KRA deeply regrets this incident and offers heartfelt sympathies to the family of the late Eng. Juma. Any reports suggesting that he was being pursued over tax arrears are false and misleading.”
The statement added that the matter had been reported to the relevant authorities and that investigations are ongoing.
Close associates revealed that Juma had been struggling with insomnia and had sought medical help at Aga Khan Hospital days before his death.
Eng. Juma’s company, Gogni Rajope Construction, has been involved in several key infrastructure projects, including the Malava–Ikoli road in Kakamega County, Masara–Sori–Agolo Muok, and Got Nanga–Bar Ober roads, some of which have been temporarily halted.
The tragic death of the veteran engineer has sent shockwaves through the construction and engineering fraternity in Nyanza.
This article is the original work of Maurice Alal, an award-winning journalist renowned for his commitment to truth and excellence in reporting.
