- Nairobi Governor reveals county only approved a change of use, not the architectural plans submitted months later
- Named professionals include an architect, structural engineer, physical planner, and two companies connected to the collapsed 12-storey building
- Sakaja has forwarded the county's report to the DCI and is pushing for prosecutorial powers to be returned to county governments
Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has publicly named the professionals whose credentials were used in the construction of a 12-storey building that came down in Eastleigh, demanding that their respective professional bodies launch investigations and hold accountable anyone found to have breached the law.
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Speaking on the second day of multi-agency search-and-rescue operations at the site on 9th Street, Eastleigh, within Kamukunji Sub-County, the governor was categorical; Nairobi City County's only involvement in the project was a change-of-use approval granted on October 17, 2024, following an application by physical planner Nathan Mutunga Kiiti, registration number 0274.
Architectural plans submitted on November 20, 2024, by architect Emmanuel Mwangi Maina, registration number A2045, were never approved by the county.
Those plans listed Precise Civil Engineering Ltd as the firm behind the civil and structural engineering submission, Stromax Holdings E.A. Limited as the contractor, Maina as the project architect, and Joseph Mutturi Mugu as the project structural engineer.
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Sakaja described the gap between the limited approval granted and the unapproved construction that followed as central to establishing who bears responsibility for the tragedy.
"The professionals whose details were used in the development process have a responsibility to ensure that construction complies with approved plans, building regulations and safety standards," he said, characterising the incident as a case of "total impunity."
He confirmed the county had already forwarded its report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and said enforcement action had been taken on multiple occasions after the unauthorised construction was detected.
The Governor called on professional associations representing architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and builders to scrutinise the conduct of the individuals named and determine whether professional and legal obligations were met.
Sakaja also took the opportunity to revive his push for prosecutorial powers to be returned to county governments, arguing that meaningful enforcement of building regulations requires stronger legal tools.
"We want a system where those who violate building regulations are held accountable and the penalties imposed serve as a deterrent," he said.
Rescue operations are ongoing at the site, with the immediate priority being the recovery of any survivors still trapped beneath the rubble, as investigators begin the process of determining individual responsibility.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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