Omanuwa Godfrey Shikanda, 36, jumped from the 30th floor of the building when it caught fire, Shikanda's brother, Dixon Okusimba, has shared the heartbreaking experience that led to his brother's untimely death.
According to Okusimba, Shikanda was sleeping when the building caught fire. "His apartment was also on fire and he probably woke up from his sleep. After noticing the smoke, Shikanda may have panicked and made a desperate decision to jump from the window in an attempt to save himself. I am sure he hoped to land safely in a nearby car. However, tragedy struck and we were left in unbearable agony," Okusimba said.
Okusimba was on a business trip to Sri Lanka when the fire broke out. After learning of the tragedy, he desperately searched for his brother. "My friends kept calling me but I couldn't reach them. When I finally got in touch with them the next day, they told me my brother's building was on fire and he was missing."
Unable to locate his brother at his friends' residence and office, Okusimba sent his friends to the Buhaira Police Station and discovered the heartbreaking truth.
Shikanda, a supervisor at a plumbing company that installs construction pipes, left behind a grieving family in Kenya, including his wife and two young children. "His daughter is 14 years old and his son is 6," Okusimba said.
"His sudden and tragic departure has left a void that can never be filled," said Okusimba, who returned to the UAE from Sri Lanka on Saturday. He went to Shikanda's apartment in Block B and saw only the devastation after the fire.
Shikanda came to the UAE nine years ago. "His children, wife and others are happy. He was the sole breadwinner of the family and was a very generous man," Okusimba said.
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