Thiba dam contractor who reported ‘racist’ manager fired by German firm

A local technician who works for a company contracted to construct the Ksh.20 billion Thiba dam is alleging he is being punished for reporting a ‘racist’ foreign national to authorities.

Kennedy Maina, a Strabag International local contractor who reported Austrian Hinteregger Yugen to the police after he allegedly almost killed him at work now says the company has refused to renew his contract.

In the June 2019 incident, Maina reported that Yugen almost killed him at work.

“Our manager Yugen is a violent person canning even aged workers. Today he threatened to beat me and after I tried pleading with him to forgive me, he got mad, threw a metallic door at me. I had to shout for help,” said Maina.

After the incident, the dam contractors, through their union representative David Ndanya, claimed that the supervisor often referred to them as “bushmen and idiots” and went as far as physically abusing some of them.

After the incident, a meeting was reportedly held at the construction site where Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji assured the workers that nobody would be victimised. About 10 workers who had been fired by Yugen were also reinstated.

Maina is pleading with MP Gichimu to intervene and save his job. “Please Gichugu MP, I want my contract renewed and I’m being victimised,” said Maina.

Contacted by Citizen Digital, Strabag Commercial Manager Sven Krueger said Maina’s contract has expired and the company has the power to renew or not to renew.