Kinyara sugar factory employee killed by machine

MASINDI. Employees of Kinyara Sugar factory in Masindi district are grieving the death of their colleague, Mr Daniel Odoch, who was allegedly grabbed by a conveyor belt that threw him into the running machines, eventually crushing him to death instantly.

Odoch, 16, who was a student of Kinyara High School in Budongo Sub County, Masindi district, was a temporary worker, searching for school fees, according to his grieving workmates.

When contacted, the Corporate Communications manager Kinyara Sugar Limited, Mr Kirunda Magoola confirmed Odoch’s death, describing the incident as unfortunate.

“We lost a colleague who was working under a contract. He was pulled by a conveyor and crashed to death,” he said.

Mr Magoola defended however that the deceased was wearing safety gears and there was nothing extra ordinary.

“We are working on the burial arrangements and a full statement regarding the matter will be released later,” Magoola said.

Cases of employing minors are high especially in sugarcane growing and related activities around Kinyara Sugar factory.

However, the management of Kinyara has always denied hiring minors , blaming the vice on its contractors.

Cases of this nature have occurred elsewhere in the country.

Just last year, Nile Breweries’ engineer was crushed to death by a machine at the beer factory.

Eng. Williams Buluma, a mechanical specialist at the Nile Breweries Jinja plant was on last year crushed to death by a factory machine under unclear circumstances.

Buluma’s colleague told this reporter that the deceased was cleaning the conveyor when the accident happened.