Kenyatta in a statement on Saturday said once investigations are complete, those found capable should be held accountable for the loss of lives/FILE – PSCU
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 7 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked law enforcement agencies investigating the collapse of a six-storey building in Nairobi’s Tassia Estate to hasten the investigation process.
Kenyatta in a statement on Saturday said once investigations are complete, those found capable should be held accountable for the loss of lives.
Five people died when the building collapsed on Friday. 29 persons were pulled from the collapsed building with a varied degree of injuries.
A 15-year-old girl succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment on Saturday.
“I direct law enforcement agencies to hasten investigations into the collapsed building with a view of taking punitive legal action against those whose actions and/or inactions led to the incident,” Kenyatta said in a stamen dispatched by State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena.
While sending his comforting messages to the families who lost their loved ones during the incident, the Head of State applauded rescue teams and urged Kenyans to keep off structures that are not structurally sound.
“I commend the multi-agency rescue team comprising of Government and humanitarian agencies for the swift and well-coordinated response that helped avert more deaths in the collapsed building and appeals to Kenyans to vacate all condemned structures across the country,” Kenyatta added.
18 people were pulled out alive from the collapsed building and 16 of them have already been discharged as two others are still undergoing treatment.
A search and rescue operation is still ongoing with Kenya Red Cross indicating 26 people have been reported missing.
The collapsed building had 57 rental spaces though not all had been occupied at the time of the incident.
