Popular city lawyer Danstan Omari claimed that 37 attorneys including himself were forced to jump from the fourth floor of Uganda House, a business complex located in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) after a fire broke out in the premises.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Omari stated that the incident occurred on Tuesday when the anti-finance bill protests rocked the capital leaving the advocates trapped in the building.
"When the fire started coming up, we had to jump from the fourth floor, break the windows, and come down. Otherwise, we could have been burnt alive," Omari said.
He then proceeded to give a detailed account of how they used a nearby electric post to evacuate from the building not knowing what would come next.
This came even as a series of videos captured looters breaking into the building located along Kenyatta Avenue and making away with goods of unknown value.
The looting spree eventually resulted in a fire outbreak as police officers, who responded to the incident responded to stop the rampage.
At the time of the occurrence, 37 people who were trapped in the building escaped without sustaining any injuries. The building mostly houses advocates of the High Court including; Omari, Shadrack Wamboi, Sam Nyaberi, and others.
"Luckily none of the 37 people who were trapped in the building were injured. It was miraculous that we survived and we thank God," Omari added.
The lawyer alleged that the fire which broke out in the building was catalysed by teargas thrown by the police officers during Anti-Finance Bill protests. He then proceeded to condemned the attack.
In a similar incident a week ago, passengers were compelled to evacuate when police hurled a teargas canister inside a Super Metro bus during an Anti-Finance Bill protest in the Central Business District.
In the incident that occurred around midday near Imenti House, eyewitnesses captured footage of passengers scrambling to safety as teargas choked passengers inside the bus.
Aftermath
Following Tuesday's events, various leaders including Former President Uhuru Kenyatta called on the government to listen to Kenyans. The former commander-in-chief advised both parties to embrace dialogue and find a solution to the issues at hand.
The former Head of State said listening to the dissenting voices was not an option for elected leaders but rather their constitutional mandate.
He expressed his sympathies over the loss of lives witnessed in the ongoing protests.
