Sheila Chebii Case Raised in Australian Parliament as Family Seeks Answers

Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda has raised the death of Kenyan national Sheila Chebii in the Australian Parliament, calling for recognition of her family's concerns and the unanswered questions surrounding the case.

Chebii, 26, was from Elgeyo Marakwet County and had moved to Australia to study and work. She was living in Liverpool with her cousin and had found employment through Global Hospitality Solutions while preparing for further career opportunities. 

On 17 May, she reported for duty at the Meriton Hotel on Sussex Street in Sydney. Earlier that day, she had spoken to her boyfriend in Kenya and her cousin in Australia, and both conversations were said to reflect her optimism about the future, including an upcoming job interview. 

Later that day, her family was informed that she had fallen from the 19th floor of the building to the fourth floor. The circumstances of her death remain under investigation.

Speaking in Parliament, Kaliyanda said the case had affected both the Kenyan community in Australia and Chebii's family in Kenya. While stressing that Parliament should not interfere with ongoing investigations by police, the coroner and workplace safety authorities, she said lawmakers had a responsibility to acknowledge the family's concerns. 

According to Kaliyanda, the family questioned the speed of the initial conclusions, pointed to inconsistencies in official communication and said they had received conflicting accounts of what happened. After viewing Chebii's body, they also said their observations did not match the explanation they had been given.

The parliamentary statement comes as members of the Kenyan community in Australia and Kenya continue to call for a full and independent investigation. Campaigns have been organised online, petitions have been submitted to authorities and appeals have been made to both governments for greater transparency. 

The case has also been raised in Kenya's National Assembly, where lawmakers have sought updates and called for a clear account of the events leading to Chebii's death while at work. Community leaders have called for an independent forensic review, the preservation and release of all relevant evidence, and greater transparency throughout the investigation. 

They have also urged Chebii's employer and the management of the Meriton Hotel on Sussex Street to cooperate fully with the authorities. The case has become an important issue for the Kenyan diaspora, raising concerns about the safety of migrant workers, communication with families and access to justice.