Woman Contractor Dies After Depression Linked to Alleged KSh 36M Non-Payment by Nairobi County

A woman contractor has sadly passed away following a medical condition believed to be linked to depression, with her family blaming the situation on the delayed payment of millions of shillings allegedly owed by the Nairobi City County Government.

The late Beatrice Njeri’s family says she was owed KSh 36,787,221 for constructing a 2.7-kilometre road under project number NCCG/M&W/T/125/2023-2024 in the Kanisani area of Ruai.

According to relatives, Njeri took several bank loans to finance the road project, expecting the county government to pay her promptly after completion of the work. However, attempts to obtain the payment reportedly failed, leaving her in serious financial trouble.

Family members and colleagues claim the heavy debt burden affected her mental health. Medical reports allegedly indicated that the illness she developed was triggered by depression linked to financial pressure.

Those who worked on the project revealed that the road construction was completed in September 2024, and the first invoice was submitted in October 2024. They maintain that no payment has been received up to now.

Due to the unpaid loans, banks reportedly repossessed Njeri’s road construction machinery and vehicles after she defaulted on repayments.

After her hospitalization and eventual death, the family was left with a KSh 3.2 million hospital bill. Her body is currently being held at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital mortuary pending clearance of the medical fees.

The grieving family is now appealing to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to urgently intervene and ensure the outstanding payment is settled. They say the delay has caused severe financial hardship, emotional pain, and ultimately the loss of their loved one.