SUICIDE or PUSHED? Why PWC Employee Jumped 17 Floors to his Death

The late Stephen Mumbo and his wife. Worrying details have emerged of Stephen Mumbo who jumped 17 floors to his death last week.

Stephen Mumbo, the manager at an international audit and accounting firm who jumped to his death recently, left St Paul’s Amukura High School in Busia County as the brightest student in 1996.

Schoolmates say was shy. St Paul’s motto was ‘Run to the finish.’ But tragically, Mumbo ran his last race in the journey of life by leaping from the 17th floor of Delta Corner Tower, the headquarters of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Westlands, Nairobi.

Accidents or death at PwC is covered by insurance. Payouts oscillate between Sh20 million to Sh25 million for ‘ordinary’ staff and nose north to Sh50 million for partners and senior staff. But suicide is not covered, insiders told The Nairobian.

That fateful Friday, October 12 when Mumbo jumped to his death, he had kissed his wife and daughter goodbye and left his house at around 5:40 am.

It was the last time they were to see him alive. The couple had adopted the daughter three months ago.

So, why did Stephen Mumbo jump 17 floors to his death? After all, at St Paul’s Amukura, all boys knew he would be a success story: As fellow students chased girls, the boy who never missed church, chased whoever had library keys.

Mumbo, a trained civil engineer, later rose to assistant manager, executory and forensic investigations at PwC – one of Kenya’s leading professional services firms in audit, advisory and tax services.

PwC is by all standards a successful career landing: It has global tentacles, and those in management are considered high-net-worth individuals by the Kenya Revenue Authority.

His life reflected that of a man suffering from emotional disturbance and high pressure. Worrying details have emerged of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) employee Stephen Mumbo who jumped 17 floors to his death last week. Mumbo had suffered three work-related burn outs in the last two years including one where he fell asleep in the middle of a presentation. It is reported that on the fateful day of his death, Mumbo had left the office at 1:30am and was back at his desk 6:30am.

The employee’s life reflected that of a man suffering from emotional disturbance and high pressure.

He had worked at PwC for 13 years and had such a mental breakdown that he walked out on his boss.

He added that they were treating the matter as a suicide. Photos circulated on-line indicate the plunge was broken before ground zero which would explain why he died in hospital.

Due to work pressure?

According to a relative, they “had plied him with so much work, and he wasn’t the type to decline, so he did it anyway. He was always very well groomed, but always tired”.

His mother died five years ago and had even taken a year’s unpaid leave to mourn her passing.

He was said to be a perfectionist and would rather be late with a client’s report than bring in a report which had a comma in the wrong place.

Mumbo’s immediate boss George Weru declined to issue a comment insisting that the company had already issued a press statement and held a press conference on the matter last Friday.

Mumbo worked at PWC as the Assistant Manager at the Executory and Forensic Investigations Department.

“It is with great sadness that we confirm that there was a tragic incident at PwC Kenya offices today morning where we lost one of our colleague Stephen Mumbo. Steve fell off 17th floor early this morning. This is an unfortunate incident and a big blow to the PwC family,” the audit firm’s Regional Senior Partner Peter Ngahu Ngahu said in a statement.

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