World · 2026-10-24 · Morning briefing

Nairobi governor demands reform after building collapse

The collapse of an incomplete 12-storey building in Nairobi has prompted the city's governor, Johnson Sakaja, to demand tougher penalties for rogue developers. A multi-agency team, including the Kenya Defence Forces and the Red Cross, is conducting a search and rescue operation at the site in the Eastleigh neighborhood, where the building's occupied ground floor was crushed.

Sakaja argued that enforcement is toothless when fines for construction violations can be as low as Sh5,000. He has formally asked the national Director of Public Prosecutions to restore prosecutorial powers to county governments. The governor also urged professional associations to investigate developers who dismiss qualified engineers and architects immediately after their plans are approved, a common tactic to cut costs.

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• Multi-story building collapses in Kenya, leaving many feared trapped under the rubble
• Many feared trapped after multistorey building collapses in Kenya
• Eastleigh Nairobi Construction Safety History After Collapse
• Governors reject Sh440.8bn allocation, demand extra Sh91.5bn
• Nairobi mulls Moi Airbase, Wilson Airport relocation in growth plan

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