New Zealander killed in Kenyan capital

Robbers broke into the Nairobi apartment of a New Zealand engineer and killed him, his employer said Monday.

Julian Nathan, 76, who was with two other engineers - another New Zealander and an Australian - was killed Saturday, said Gary Hannam, chairman of New Zealand avocado oil company, Olivado. The engineers were in Kenya to help set up a US$2.5 million (EUR2 million) Olivado processing plant, Hannam said.

Kenyan police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said he had heard about the killing of a foreigner, but did not have any more information. Hannam told The Associated Press that his company had reported the killing to Kenyan police.

"The men climbed up to the second floor balcony. Then they broke the door open and came into the engineers' bedroom, tied up two of them, asked for money," said Hannam, who flew into the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Saturday from Switzerland hours after he heard about the attack.

"Then they found Julian and I understand he said, 'I don't have any money,' then they hit him on the head," said Hannam, saying Nathan died after being struck with a blunt object.

He said the men took around 100,000 shillings (US$1,500; EUR1,000) in cash, several laptops and mobile phones.

Tom Diju Owuor, New Zealand's honorary consul in Kenya, said arrangements have been made to take Nathan's body to New Zealand, but no date has been set.