SA man shot in Nairobi
2004-11-01 08:46
Nairobi - Gerry Grundy, 50, chief executive of Bullpak, a Nampak subsidiary in Kenya, is in critical condition in Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg after a robber shot him in Nairobi on Thursday.
Senior Superintendent Gideon Amala, a police commander in Nairobi, said on Sunday that the attack took place at about 16:00 while Grundy was on his way home.
A robber attacked him and tried to grab his briefcase from the passenger seat of his car. A shot was fired and Grundy was wounded in the armpit.
Bystanders tried to catch the robber, but he threatened to shoot them too and ran off - without the briefcase.
Grundy was taken to Mater Hospital in Nairobi where doctors battled to save his life. His wife joined him from South Africa on Friday.
On Saturday he was moved to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on an emergency flight.
Emergency flight to South Africa
He was admitted to hospital at 08:30. His wife and other family members were at his bedside in the intensive care unit on Sunday, Marida Fitzpatrick reported.
Grundy's family did not want to speak to the media and asked the hospital not to release any information.
The Kenyan government expressed regret over the incident.
"We are sorry about what happened. Mr Grundy was a friend to the people of Kenya. The police are doing their best to catch the guilty ones," said Dr Albert Motua for the government on Sunday.
The South African business community in Kenya was shocked by the shooting.
"Gerry Grundy's name was on everyone's lips at the weekend. We are a small group and we all know each other. It is very sad," said Stewart Henderson, the local CEO of Old Mutual and chairperson of the South African business chamber in Kenya.
He described Grundy as a "dynamic person who tried to make a difference in Kenya".
'Safer than South Africa'
Grundy was closely involved in cricket projects. Last year, he helped raise funds for children from the Kibera squatter camp to tour England.
Nampak could not be reached for comment.
A Kenyan government research unit said in June violent crime in Nairobi last year increased by 10% and this trend was bad for business confidence.
According to the survey, more than 80% of businesses in Nairobi indicated they felt threatened by crime.
Motua said the latest figures showed that crime in general was decreasing, but not violent crime.
He said: "We are very concerned about the number of illegal firearms in circulation. The availability of handguns poses a big danger."
Henderson said the shooting would not keep South African businesses away from Kenya. "There are risks associated with moving here, but Kenya remains safer than South Africa."