Govt Reveals Blunder That Led To Eastleigh Building Collapse, Killing 4

Area residents decried the state of construction in the Pangani and Eastleigh areas, stating that developers were ignoring safety standards and putting the lives of many at risk.

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Dec 3, 2023 - 14:41
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Govt Reveals Blunder That Led To Eastleigh Building Collapse, Killing 4
Collage of a building collapsing in Eastleigh on December 2, 2023. /PHOTO

The government, through the State Department of Public Works, has attributed the collapse of a building under construction in Eastleigh, Nairobi where four people died, to a scaffold incident.

According to a statement issued by the State Department and signed by Principal Secretary (PS) Joel Arumonyang, the incident occurred when workers on the 17-floor Bajuun Tower residential project along Mukunga Street were plastering the external walls of the 15th, 16th, and 17th floors.

"The workers were operating from a timber platform supported by a scaffold made of old wooden planks," the statement read in part. 

"Due to weather elements, the structure had become weak and unsound, and could no longer support the weight of the workers, equipment and materials."

Rescue teams at the scene after a building in Eastleigh collapsed on December 2, 2023. /PHOTO

Initial reports revealed that the scaffolding collapsed from the 10th floor and onto an adjacent property, taking the workers with it.

PS Arumonyang added that during the incident, the construction workers lacked personal protective equipment, especially helmets and safety harnesses. 

"The scaffolding structure also lacked proper maintenance, and thus its collapse was imminent," the statement added.

A scaffold, also called scaffolding or staging, is a temporary structure that allows people to stand on a stable platform for work at height or in hard-to-reach places. 

These temporary structures are often used in constructing, maintaining, or repairing buildings, bridges, and other man-made structures by supporting work crews and materials.

A multi-agency team has since been dispatched to inspect and assess the scaffold collapse in Pangani which also left eight people injured, with the PS warning that those found responsible for the incident will face consequences.

Area residents decried the state of construction in the Pangani and Eastleigh areas, stating that developers were ignoring safety standards and putting the lives of many at risk.

“At the start, most constructions had metals. Nowadays they only use timber and iron sheets which is very useless and consequently one perishes when they fall.” Lamented one resident to Citizen TV.

“Had the National Construction Authority (NCA) visited this site and seen the ladders being used here, this tragedy would have been averted. Many lives would have been saved and even those admitted to hospital with injuries would have been well," added another.

Kenya Red Cross was the first to break the news and stated that the injured were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and other facilities.

This comes after the contractor of a 10-storey building under construction which collapsed in the Mirema estate in Nairobi County on Sunday night, September 24 was arrested for contravening section 16 of the building code, Physical & Land Use Planning Act (2019).

The contractor/developer was arrested and arraigned in court and given cash bail of Ksh500,000. 

At the time the buildings collapsed, only 9 floors had been constructed. No lives were lost, and no one was injured.

NCA had indicated that the building was intended to be a 12-storey residential building before its collapse.

A collage of a collapsed building in Mirema on September 24, 2023. /SAFINA.TV47

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