There is muted concern following the rising cases of falls resulting from falls from slippery floors.

Many are worried that most of these stories are never told beyond the affected families – and their close friends and relatives.

Reports indicate that 75 percent of slip-and-fall accidents have been attributed to wet and slippery floors.

Some of the accidents have been fatal.  

Maureen Wekesa sprained her right leg while mopping the floor of her house in Donholm estate, Nairobi.

This was not the first time the single mother of two had suffered a fall. The floor of her house is made of soft and slippery tiles.

“I once slipped and crashed on the bathroom floor of my house, and landed on my bum with much force,” she recounted.

“I felt a sharp pain on my backside. I had to see a doctor the next day,” she says.

Several kilometres away in Migori County, a female primary school teacher – she asked not to be named – recently broke her right wrist while mopping the floor of her house in the village.

“I was trying to avoid hitting the back of my head after I slipped on the wet floor. I used both my hands in a quick reflex action, but ended up breaking my right hand,” said the teacher who underwent a minor operation last Saturday in Migori.

She is now recovering at home. She says she would have easily hit the back of her head on the floor.

An x-ray image seen by Wananchi Reporting shows a dislocated wrist, just around the thumb area.

Reports indicate that the falls mostly happen in the bathrooms, balconies, sitting room, and in the kitchen.

“I have had to buy special shoes for my children and myself. The shoes are waterproof, are comfortable and can be worn when taking a bath, or when mopping,” says Ms. Wekesa.

Those who can afford are installing anti slip vinyl flooring to reduce the accidents.

Then there are those who are asking the government to reign in on landlords and contractors who fail to undertake proper slip risk assessment and prevention strategy before on boarding tenants.

Meanwhile, the National Construction Authority (NCA) should carry out inspection of buildings before issuing occupational certifications.