A production manager at the department of statistics headquarters, who was moved to Kilifi County to coordinate the August national census Mr. Josiah Kaara, has died through unclear circumstances.
Kaara was found dead at his Mtwapa apartment room on Monday after his wife Agnes Kaara led the police to the premise where they broke the door.
Kilifi county statistics officer Kelvin Nyawade said he parted with the deceased on Friday evening and had agreed to work on Saturday and Sunday so that they could clear the census work before submitting it to the headquarters this week.
He said he called him on Saturday morning and afternoon but the calls went unanswered forcing him to contact the wife who also confirmed that her calls were also not being picked by her husband.
Mrs. Kaara who traveled from upcountry to Mtwapa on Saturday night and arrived on Sunday morning found both the gate and door locked up and sought the assistance of the police who broke the doors and found him dead.
County police commander Patrick Okeri told KNA that the body was removed to Pandya hospital mortuary and revealed that a post mortem will be conducted today to establish the cause of the death to commence investigations.
This happens at a time when contracted census officials are protesting their delayed salaries.
More than 100,000 temporary staff consisting of enumerators, content and ICT supervisors hired by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) to conduct the 2019 Census have not been paid their dues for almost one month since they rendered their services.
The officials, most of them being unemployed graduates, said that life has been very difficult following the delay in the release of the cash already budgeted for.
KNBS director-general Zachary Mwangi had not responded to concerns on the delays by the contracted officials.