Three senior employees of the Nairobi county government have been interdicted as a probe into the collapsed building in Kasarani begins in earnest.
In a statement on Friday, November 18, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the three officers have been sent home for neglecting their duties.
The affected employees are, Michael Agoya, the Senior Superintendent of Building, Catherine Wairimu, an enforcement officer, Kasarani Sub-County; and Beatrice Kimathi, Chief Superintendent Building.
They were relieved of their duties pending further investigations into the tragedy that claimed three lives on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
“Nairobi County has taken action against three officers who have been asked to show cause and interdicted due to negligence of their duties, including inadequate supervision, which led to the collapse of a building three days ago at Season Village, Kasarani SubCounty,” a statement from the governor’s office read in part.
The suspended employees have been given ten days to show cause why they should not be punished failure to which further stern disciplinary action will be taken against them.
At the same time, the governor said the names of the officers have been forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further investigations.
“If I find any officer from Nairobi County capable, at any point, for allowing construction of non-compliant developments to continue they will go home and be charged,” Sakaja said.
“The developer of the building in Kasarani is responsible for the deaths and we will work with the DCI to hold him accountable. He did not have permits from the County and has continuously ignored enforcement notices to stop construction, this kind of impunity must stop”.
Preliminary investigations have confirmed the building had no statutory approvals from Nairobi City
County nor from National Construction Authority (NCA).
The developer had in the past ignored noncompliance notices with the latest being issued on the morning of the incident, Tuesday, November 15.
Kasarani site closed
NCA closed the construction site the same morning marking it dangerous and hazardous, however, the owner ignored the notice and reopened the site later the same day.
Meanwhile, the governor has reconstituted the Urban Planning Technical Committee (UPTC) which was
initiated in 2009 to succeed the Town Planning & Works Committee.
The governor tasked the multi-sectoral team to facilitate the evaluation and consideration of applications for development permission submitted to the planning authority. They will meet twice a month.
The members are Brenda Nyawara (Architectural Association of Kenya), Eng. Jane Mutulili (Engineers Board of Kenya), Eng. Christine Ogut (Institution of Engineers of Kenya) and Dr. Abdulmalik Gichuki (Kenya Alliance of Resident Association).
Other members are Racheal Kisiangani (Kenya Institute of Planners), Stanley Karaya Kimani (Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company) and Margaret Njuki (National Environment Management Authority).
The county will be represented by the heads of departments and technical officers from the Urban
Planning, roads, public health, lands and survey.
