Patel Mansukh, the owner of the infamous Solai dam, is dead.
A source close to the family said that Mansukh had been receiving treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital.
He had been admitted for three days before his untimely death on Monday.
Nakuru business community mourned him as an astute businessman who fed many families through his entrepreneurship.
On the night of May 9 2018, Solai Dam located in Subukia broke its banks and wiped out an entire village in a matter of minutes.
Five hundred families in the area were affected by the deluge, which Patel was charged for following the death of 48 people.
A Senate committee led by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr investigated the matter and ruled out natural causes.
The committee noted that it was a case of omission and a conspiracy between the dam owner and state agencies.
An investigation found out that the dam had been leaking, but the owner and NEMA were negligent, leading to the loss of 48 lives.
Scores of other families were left homeless and had to rebuild their lives from scratch.
Sadly, co-accused persons following the tragedy were in February 2020 set free by the Naivasha court over ‘lack of willingness by the Prosecution’ to prosecute the case.
They include Perry Kansagara, the managing director of Patel Coffee Estates, Vinoj Jaya Kumar, the general manager, and seven others.
They faced manslaughter charges.
Naivasha Chief Magistrate Kennedy Bidali, while setting the accused persons free, said that there was a lot of unwillingness by the Prosecution team.