The Eastleigh Property Developers Welfare and Business Association has apologised to families whose relatives were affected by the October 23 building collapse, pledging continued humanitarian support for rescue teams and plans to identify potentially unsafe buildings in the area.
The association said it would sustain its assistance to the rescue operation until search activities are completed, while also committing to support families affected by the tragedy.
Speaking to journalists at the collapse site, where rescue operations were ongoing, Eastleigh Business District Association Organising Secretary Omar Ahmed said the association would assess buildings suspected of being structurally unsafe or constructed without the required approvals.
Ahmed said the findings would be submitted to the relevant authorities for re-evaluation, with the aim of helping prevent similar incidents in Eastleigh.
The association also urged Nairobi County to review its building approval procedures and strategies, arguing that stronger scrutiny could help reduce the risk of building collapses.
The commitments follow the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction along 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Friday, October 23, which triggered a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation.
The incident has raised concerns about construction safety, regulatory compliance and the enforcement of building standards in the capital.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county had not approved the building plans for the collapsed structure, although a change of use had been approved. He also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the construction and the enforcement of building regulations.
The National Construction Authority subsequently identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer listed in its records, Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as the contractor, Emmanuel Mwangi Maina as the project architect and Joseph Muturi Mugu as the structural engineer.
The building lacked the required county construction approval and a National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) licence.
The revelations have intensified scrutiny of the agencies responsible for overseeing construction and ensuring compliance with the required safety standards. The cause of the collapse and any individual responsibility remain matters for investigation.
Through its proposed building assessments, the association says it intends to flag potentially dangerous structures for examination by the relevant authorities before another tragedy occurs.
Ahmed reiterated that the association would continue supporting the affected families and providing humanitarian assistance to the rescue teams as search operations continued.
