1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Kenya

Security concerns after aid worker murdered

The German aid agency has expressed concern over insecurity in Kenya following the weekend murder of one of its field staff members in Nairobi, and has urged the authorities to improve security. Werner von der Ohe, an agricultural expert who worked for the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in Kenya, was on Sunday night attacked and shot dead by an armed gang outside his house in Nairobi. Preliminary investigations have indicated that the murder was part of a robbery attempt. According to media reports, Von der Ohe was waiting for the gate to his residence to be opened when he was accosted by a gang which demanded money and his cell phone, before shooting him. The Kenyan police have said are still conducting investigations into the crime. A spokesman at the GTZ office in Nairobi told IRIN that the agency, together with the German embassy, were in close contact with the Kenyan foreign ministry to ensure that a thorough and speedy investigation was carried out. "We are concerned that security is a big problem in Kenya," he said. "We urge our partners, the Kenyan government to improve security, especially for foreign staff working here." Von der Ohe, who has worked for GTZ in Kenya since 1994, was attached to the Kenyan ministry for agriculture and was responsible for two projects - the "Kenyan Agricultural Sector Information Management" and "Promotion of Agriculture Extension Services". GTZ said it was planning to continue with the projects. "The projects will continue," the spokesman said. "We will continue working with the sector."

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join