This archive report was first published on 23 September 2019.
On September 23, 2019, a devastating classroom collapse at Precious Talent Academy in Nairobi's Ng'ando area left seven pupils dead and many more injured.
The tragedy occurred at around 6:50 am as junior primary pupils were undertaking morning preparations.
Rescue teams from the Kenya Red Cross, St John's Ambulance, school workers, residents, and other Good Samaritans rushed to the scene to save the trapped children.
However, the delayed response of emergency teams raised concerns about the city county's disaster preparedness.
According to eyewitnesses, the two-storey building caved in a few minutes to 7 am, trapping pupils on the ground floor, particularly those in Standard Six, Seven, and Eight.
TV footage showed rescuers using rudimentary tools to dig up the rubble as distraught parents watched in despair.
Some parents and school neighbors had previously raised concerns about the safety and stability of the building, citing poor engineering and workmanship.
The school owner, Moses Wainaina, blamed the collapse on Nairobi City County, claiming that recent sewer line digging behind the classrooms had weakened the building's foundation.
However, Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie attributed the disaster to the national and county governments' failure to provide public social amenities in the area, leaving room for private investors to operate at all costs.
