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The collapse of a ten-storey residential building under construction on Sunday night, September 24, 2023, has raised serious questions about construction standards and safety compliance in Nairobi.
The incident occurred on Mirema Drive in Zimmerman Area, Roysambu Constituency, causing significant damage to an adjacent building, a vehicle, and Kenya Power and Lighting Company infrastructure.
Thankfully, there were no reported casualties.
According to a statement by the National Construction Authority, this ill-fated project had been registered under registration number 53127915710189, with plans initially calling for a 12-storey residential building.
It had received approval from the Nairobi City County and had an Environment Impact Assessment License from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
The developer of the project has been identified as Joseph Kambo Wakiri, with key consultants being architects Lawrence Maina Mwangi, engineer Anthony Macharia Gatune, and quantity surveyor Joseph Karume Ireri.
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The construction responsibilities rested with Wamie Construction Limited.
A preliminary investigation suggests that poor-quality structural concrete used during construction may have contributed to the building's collapse.
However, a comprehensive and in-depth investigation is scheduled to take place in the coming days to pinpoint the exact cause of this catastrophic failure.
In response to the incident, the National Construction Authority issued a stern warning to emphasize that anyone found to have acted against the law or disregarded lawful directions from competent authorities will face the full legal consequences.