A man believed to have been attempting to vandalise solar lighting equipment on a billboard died after falling about 35 metres from the top of the structure along Lusaka Road near Nyayo Roundabout in Nairobi, police said.
According to police, members of the public alerted officers from Industrial Area Police Station on Monday after spotting the man on top of the billboard.
Witnesses told police he had been on the structure since about 1:30 am and appeared to be tampering with the equipment.
Police officers responded to the scene and attempted to persuade him to climb down, but he did not comply.
They later sought assistance from the Nairobi County Fire Brigade to carry out a rescue operation.
However, at about 6:30 am, before emergency responders arrived, the man reportedly jumped from the top of the billboard and died after hitting the ground.
A search of the scene led to the recovery of a bag containing climbing ropes, assorted tools and solar lighting components, according to Nairobi police commander Issa Mohamud.
Police said preliminary investigations suggest the deceased may have climbed the billboard with the intention of vandalising and stealing its solar lighting equipment.
The man's identity had not been established by the time the report was filed.
Police documented the scene before the body was moved to the City Mortuary for preservation as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, police in Nyakach, Kisumu County, are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose decomposing body was recovered from River Sondu Miriu.
The body was spotted floating in the middle of the river near the Agai area on Saturday, prompting members of the public to alert police.
With the assistance of members of the public, officers retrieved the body and moved it to Nyakach Sub-County Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination and formal identification.
Police said investigations are underway to establish the identity of the deceased, the cause of death and the circumstances under which the body ended up in the river.
In a separate incident, police in Nakuru have launched investigations after a man drowned in a hotel swimming pool while spending time with his children.
The deceased, identified as Isaac Rotich, is reported to have drowned on Saturday afternoon at the swimming pool of a hotel in the Mchanganyiko area of Nakuru North Sub-County.
According to police, the hotel's proprietor reported receiving a call at about 4:30 p.m. from a security guard informing him that one of the hotel's customers had drowned in the pool.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Rotich had visited the hotel accompanied by his three children.
Police said the family was swimming together when the deceased reportedly moved into the deep end of the pool.
One of the children is said to have noticed that their father was in distress and raised the alarm.
Hotel staff and other people at the scene rescued him from the water and rushed him to Nairobi Women Hyrax Hospital in Nakuru for treatment.
However, he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police officers visited both the hotel and the hospital as part of the investigation.
Detectives recorded statements from the hotel proprietor, a security guard and the pool attendant as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The body was later transferred to PNN Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination as investigations continue.
