On May 10th, forty-eight people were killed as a result of a dam burst on a Kenyan farm. Half of the people killed were children.
The owner of the farm, Perry Mansukhlal Kansagra, is being charged with manslaughter. Kansagra has denied any wrongdoing.
If Kansagra is found guilty, he could face a life sentence.
The British millionaire owns a 33,000-acre farm in the Rift Valley which produces tea and coffee.
It is speculated that the farm was built illegally.
Kansagra, who is Kenyan-born with dual British citizenship, was in the United Kingdom at the time of the disaster. Following his return to Kenya, he was promptly arrested. He is currently on bail after his passports were confiscated.
When the dam burst on May 10th following heavy rain, 5000 people were left homeless and three villages washed away.
One of the victims, Joseph Gathogo, reveals that his four children died in the tragic event. His children were aged 10 months to 8 years.
“I tried to save them but the house collapsed and they were swept away,” he said. “There was nothing I could do. I was overwhelmed by waters.”
Kansagra’s family is worth approximately 320 million pounds. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, his family is the 388th wealthiest family in Britain. The family owns properties in the United Kingdom and Africa. The Kansagra family has interests in oil, gas, agriculture, mineral processing, and shipping. They also own a five-star hotel in London called the One Aldwych.
Since the fatal occurrence, Kansagra has appeared on Kenyan TV and refuted all accusations that his dam was not up to standards.
He claimed that the heavy rains are the attributing factor in the incident.
Kansagra stated:
“All the dams are legal, they have proper permission from authorities of the Water Department, we have all their proper permission and we have been paying all the fees on time. They [the authorities] have continuously been coming to look and inspect the dams.”
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons
