The family of Kenyan man who died during world cup match speaks

The family of Kenyan man who died during world cup match speaks

John Kibe posing for a photo at a football stadium in Qatar

The family of a man who died in Qatar after allegedly falling inside one of the stadiums hosting the ongoing World Cup matches now says that they are seeking closure on the details of their loved one's death.

John Njau Kibe, 24, died on Tuesday, December, 13, succumbing to injuries he sustained from a fall on Saturday, December 10. 

Speaking to Citizen Digital from the family's home in Dagoretti, Kibe's uncle Sam Njau said that his nephew had just finished his shift after the quarter-final match between Argentina and Netherlands and was handing over to the next shift when the fateful incident occurred.

Mr. Njau indicated that Kibe was immediately rushed to a medical facility, where he received treatment until his untimely death.

"He fell on Saturday after the match between Argentina and Netherlands. They were changing shifts. He was admitted at Hamad Hospital and died yesterday," he said on Wednesday.

Njau recalls Kibe's last moments, saying that he was in a celebratory mood since he was supporting Argentina, which won the match.

"The sister was in communication with him. He talked with her upto the last minute on WhatsApp before he went to hand over," he said.

He notes that the family neither knows the nature of the fall nor has any formal communication been made. 

"We are still in the dark about what happened. There are some people who were following up but a formal communication has not been made to us," he noted.

"No one has reached out formally to us, but the Kenyan embassy has taken up the matter."

They note, however, that they will not be quick to fault their loved one's employer until they learn the bare details into the accident.

"As of now we are not blaming the employer or anyone just that the parents are distraught," he said.

Njau remembers his nephew as a young man who always reached out to his family members, updating them on his progress in Qatar and always sharing images from the matches he got to watch.

"He was very communicative with everyone. He was even sharing images from the matches," he said.

Kibe, the only son in a family of three siblings, went to Qatar in November last year to look for greener pastures and was always happy about his work, according to the uncle.

The family is now relying on updates from one of the deceased's cousins, who is in the Gulf nation. He was to meet Kibe in the morning of the fateful day.

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Qatar Citizen TV Citizen Digital John Kibe Njau

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