Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has spoken out following the collapse of a 16-storey building under construction in South C, Nairobi.
In a statement on Friday, January 2, the MP first expressed shock and sadness over the building collapse, noting the distress caused to Nairobi residents and the urgent response by emergency services.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the collapse of the 16-storey building under construction in South C, Nairobi County, an incident that has left Nairobians in anguish and emergency teams scrambling for survivors. Emergency responders including the Kenya Red Cross, National Disaster Management Unit, National Police Service, as this message is issued," he said.
Owino then described the timing of the incident as painful, arguing that it exposes long-standing governance failures in the county.
"This tragedy, coming just days into the new year, is a painful reminder of the cost of weak oversight, poor enforcement, and suspected corruption in Nairobi City County," he added.
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Owino went on to raise serious concerns about reports indicating that the building may have exceeded its approved design, alleging that the addition of extra floors was irregular and potentially enabled through corrupt practices.
"We note with grave concern reports suggesting that this structure was originally approved for 12 floors, and that unauthorised additional 4 floors were added, allegedly facilitated through bribes. These allegations point to institutional corruption, where life-safety standards are sacrificed for profit and political convenience," he claimed.
Owino further condemned corruption and regulatory failures in the construction sector, accusing officials of benefiting from a culture of impunity that allows unsafe buildings to be built without consequences.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms any corruption or bribery that undermines building safety and public trust; approvals granted without full compliance with technical and legal requirements; and a culture of impunity where county officials, developers, and professionals escape accountability," he further said.
Finally, Owino outlined four clear demands, calling for investigations, suspensions of approvals, prosecutions, and stronger enforcement mechanisms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"We demand a full, transparent, independent investigation into the collapse, including all approvals and inspections carried out at county and national levels; immediate suspension of approvals for undocumented or suspicious developments until national safety audits and compliance checks are completed; accountability and prosecution of all those found to have enabled unsafe construction, whether public officials, private developers, or professionals in the built environment; and stronger enforcement mechanisms at Nairobi City County to ensure that every structure meets the highest safety standards, not just those with connections," he concluded.
This comes weeks after the National Construction Authority (NCA) issued a public alert after detecting structural problems at a high-rise development on Peponi Road in Westlands, Nairobi.
The authority reported on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, that the residential building, which was still under construction, showed clear signs of structural compromise.
The project had been designed to feature three basement levels and thirteen floors above ground.
Following the discovery, construction activities were halted immediately, and the site was sealed off to protect public safety.
The NCA deployed a multi-agency technical team to evaluate the damage and determine whether the building could be repaired or would need to be demolished.
Security forces and disaster management teams took control of the Westlands site, while residents of nearby buildings were advised to relocate temporarily as a precautionary measure.
"The area surrounding the site is currently under the control of the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) and the National Police Service. As a precautionary safety measure, neighbouring occupants have been alerted and advised to vacate, pending further technical assessments temporarily," the statement read in part.
