This archive report was first published on 3 September 2021.
Published on September 3, 2021, a five-storey residential building under construction in Kinoo, Kiambu County, has collapsed due to a weak foundation, according to an engineer's assessment.
Engineer Nathaniel Matalanga, the president of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), revealed that the building's foundation is not strong enough to support its structure. He attributed the collapse to the red soil in the Kinoo area, which requires a large and strong foundation built with quality materials.
Speaking to The Standard, Matalanga accused greedy developers of hiring unqualified contractors instead of professional engineers to build their houses. He emphasized that building a five-storey structure on a narrow foundation without a structural engineer's service will inevitably lead to collapse.
Matalanga also criticized the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) for failing to supervise physical constructions in the city. He alleged that some NMS officials are bribed by developers to allow substandard buildings to be constructed.
“If National Construction Authority (NCA) says the structure was not approved, how come the developer was allowed to build it to the fifth floor?” Matalanga posed.
He called on the government to create a conducive environment for professionals, especially those in the engineering profession, to reduce deaths and losses witnessed during such unfortunate collapses.
Residents who live near the ill-fated building said they had been warning the owner about the structure's instability. “People living near here left yesterday because it was just a matter of when before it came down,” said a resident.
