An Austrian man employed by Strabag is being investigated in Kenya after workers alleged he made racist remarks and physically abused them, local media report.
Detectives from the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) questioned Jürgen (or Juergen) Hinteregger on Saturday, 22 June after the labourers’ union representative claimed he repeatedly referred to them as "Bushmen and Idiots" and even physically abused some of them.
Hinteregger is employed by Austrian contractor Strabag as a supervisor on its €72m project building the Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga, news site Citizen Digital reported.Â
Police told Citizen Digital that six workers had recorded statements alleging Hinteregger engaged in verbal and physical abuse.
Strabag has been contacted.
According to its website, the company started work on the Thiba Dam in March 2018.
The 45-month project sees Strabag building the 40-metre-tall, 1-km-long dam about 130km northeast of Nairobi to create a reservoir to boost agriculture in the area.
- Edited 25 June to correct the name and nationality of the Strabag employee
Image: ©GCR, illustration by Denis Carrier
