This archive report was first published on 19 December 2021.
On Friday, a five-storey building under construction in Murang'a County collapsed, claiming six lives and leaving eight others trapped in the rubble. The incident occurred at the Sun Star Hotel site, located off the Nairobi-Nyeri highway and adjacent to the Thika Greens Golf Course.
According to reports, about 58 casual labourers were on site when the building came down at around 2.00 pm. Rescue operations are still underway, with the Kenya Defense Forces disaster team leading the efforts.
Security agencies are now pursuing the owner of the building, Meru businessman Abraham Karuti Itabari, who is alleged to have gone underground since the incident. The building was an extension to an existing one, which construction experts say was hurriedly done without following due process.
Central Regional Coordinator Wilfred Nyang'wanga stated that samples from the debris have been collected and submitted for analysis to determine the cause of the incident. He also noted that only three families have reported cases of missing persons with the police.
Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has criticized the National Construction Authority (NCA) for allowing shoddy workmanship to proceed despite indications of poor construction. The governor has vowed to take action to prevent such incidents in the future.
Published on December 19, 2021
