NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 2 –South C MCA Abass Khalif has blamed negligence and oversight failures by Nairobi City County officials following the collapse of a 16-storey building under construction in South C, Nairobi, and has called for accountability over the incident.
The building collapsed at dawn on Friday, leaving at least one person injured and raising fears that others could be trapped beneath the rubble.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) later joined emergency responders in search and rescue operations at the scene.
In a statement, Khalif described the incident as a devastating tragedy and extended his condolences to the victims and their families.
The Member of County Assembly decried what he termed as serious lapses within the Nairobi City County Urban Planning Department, citing failures in inspection, enforcement, and development control.
“I have ordered a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause, but preliminary findings point to negligence and oversight failures by the Nairobi City County’s Urban Planning Department,” Khalif said.
Worrying pattern
He added that officers responsible for planning, inspection, enforcement, architecture, surveying, and development control bear responsibility for ensuring compliance with building regulations.
Khalif noted that similar incidents have occurred in the past despite repeated warnings over weak approval and enforcement processes within the county.
“We know this is not the first time such an incident has happened. County officials and the building owners must be held to account for this tragedy,” he said.
“This should be the final incident and must serve as a lesson. Sixteen floors collapsing is a clear indicator that something was fundamentally wrong from the start.”
To prevent future tragedies, the MCA called for a review of all approved building plans in South C and strengthened monitoring of ongoing construction activities.
Meanwhile, emergency service providers remained at the scene hours after the collapse, combing through debris in search of anyone who may have been trapped.
A multi-agency team was on site to assess the extent of the damage and possible casualties.
Lang’ata Sub-County Police Commander Pius Mwanthi said one man, believed to have been a pedestrian near the site, was injured and rushed to hospital.
He added that security guards who were reportedly on duty at the construction site were missing and efforts to trace them were ongoing.
The building collapsed next to other structures under construction, damaging at least one adjacent building.
Authorities said the owner and contractor of the structure are being sought for questioning as investigations continue to establish whether the construction complied with approved plans and existing building regulations.
