Governor Johnson Sakaja is under growing pressure after a deadly building collapse in South C exposed what appears to be serious failure, negligence, and possible corruption within Nairobi County. The deaths that followed were not caused by nature or bad luck.
They were the result of decisions made, approvals given, and oversight ignored under the watch of Sakaja’s administration. This tragedy has placed the county government at the center of public anger and raised hard questions that demand clear answers.
South C collapsed building. Photo Courtesy/Robert Alai/Facebook
Several people died when the building collapsed. Among the victims were two security guards who were on duty at the site. Two Bolt drivers and their passengers also lost their lives while using the road near the building.
These were working Kenyans trying to earn a living or get home safely. Their deaths have shocked the South C community and left families grieving, angry, and searching for accountability.
The building was constructed on land known as LR No. 209/5909/10. Initial approval was given for a 12-storey structure. However, five extra floors were later added. This change should have triggered strict inspections and fresh approvals. Instead, the additional floors went up, raising serious concerns about how the project continued unchecked. Claims made publicly by Robert Alai allege that a bribe of Sh25 million was paid to allow the illegal expansion. According to him, the money was shared among officials in the Nairobi County Physical Planning department.
They collapse when rules are ignored, when inspections are skipped, and when officials choose money over safety. The county government is responsible for approving, inspecting, and enforcing building standards. That responsibility cannot be passed elsewhere.
Robert Alai named the offices that should now be under investigation. These include the Chief Officer for Planning, the Director of Physical Planning, assistant directors and development control officers, county building inspectors, and enforcement officers. He also mentioned the structural engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, contractor, developer, and property owner who were involved in the project. Each of these roles carries a legal duty to protect the public. Failure at every level points to a broken system.
Alai went further and named three individuals, Fredrick Ochanda, Patrick Analo, and Osman Khalif, accusing them of routinely approving illegal buildings and billboards in Nairobi in exchange for bribes. This suggests the problem is not isolated to South C but may be widespread across the city. If true, then many other buildings could also be unsafe, putting thousands of lives at risk.
Photo Courtesy/Robert Alai/Facebook.
Images from the collapse site show crushed vehicles, broken concrete, and chaos. But behind those images are real people who will never come back. Families have lost breadwinners. Children have lost parents. All because rules meant to protect life were ignored.
