Babu Owino Goes After the Nairobi County Government After Eastleigh Building Collapse

Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has demanded answers from the Nairobi County Government after a 13-storey building collapsed in Eastleigh

In a statement issued on Friday, October 23, Babu raised concerns about whether the county government had done its due diligence to ensure that the building was constructed in compliance with the required standards.

He demanded to know how the local government approved permits for its construction and whether it conducted regular inspections of the site as required by law.

"This tragedy raises serious questions about construction standards and the enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi. The County Government must explain how such buildings receive approval and whether proper inspections are conducted," Babu wrote.

The Lawmaker asked the Nairobi County Government to address claims that those with the responsibility of facilitating the building's permits and monitoring its progress received bribes.

"Allegations of bribery and negligence in the approval process must be independently investigated. Those found culpable must be held accountable. The lives of Nairobi residents cannot be sacrificed at the altar of corruption and regulatory failure," Babu stated.

Meanwhile, he conveyed his thoughts and prayers to all the residents affected by the building collapse in Eastleigh.

"We hope those trapped are rescued safely and the injured receive urgent medical attention," the statement read.

Speaking at the site, Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) had deployed some officers to help rescue those trapped under the debris.

Sakaja said excavators, breakers and sniffer dogs were on site, and the main focus was to try to develop communication paths to those trapped.

"There are people who are communicating with us from the inside. We are trying to get some space so that they can get oxygen, before we get down to what needs to be done," he said.

Sakaja confirmed that the building had no occupation certificate for its owners to be allowed to rent out the shops on the ground floor.

However, he insinuated that the County had its hands tied because the punishment for such offences was like a slap on the wrist to developers who went against construction policies.

Meanwhile, a multi-agency team evacuated the occupants of the adjacent buildings amid concerns that their structural integrity could have been affected by the collapse.

Police officers were forced to lob teargas and shoot in the air to disperse crowds that had gathered at the scene.