Caleb Otieno family threaten to sue Blue Nile Rolling Mills over compensation

The family of Caleb Otieno, the man who died after he fell into molten steel in Thika-based Blue Nile Rolling Mills Ltd, has threatened to go to court over compensation.

The family claims the amount the company is giving as compensation is not enough considering the circumstances under which their son died.

Martin Oraro, Otieno’s father described the amount being offered ridicule, given his son had been a permanent employee for close to seven years.

Oraro travelled from Kisumu upon his son's demise and met the company's management who offered him Sh100,000 and offered a third of Sh21,000 - Oraro's monthly salary for the five years he worked in the company.

"The human resource manager told me that they would compensate me with a third of Sh21,000 that my son was earning per month for the five years he worked as a permanent employee. That is the last thing I heard from the company,” Oraro stated in a conversation with Business Daily.

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Oraro has accused Blue Nile of negligence leading to his son’s death, adding that the company has so far treated them unfairly.

“When my other son, John Agwambo, did the calculations, we realised the compensation would be Sh420,000 for all the five years he worked there as a permanent employee, yet it is safety negligence at the company that made my son die. We felt ridiculed and denied justice,” Oraro lamented.

Caleb Otieno who was molten beyond recognition and will be buried on April 9, 2022 as his family vows to pursue justice in court after the burial.

Blue Nile Rolling Mills Ltd is a sister company of Blue Nile Wire Products Ltd, the manufacturers of barbed wires and the two are owned by the Blue Nile Group.