Kenya opens criminal probe into Nairobi high-rise collapse as engineer denies blame

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga on Oct. 26 ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to examine whether acts or omissions by the developer, contractors, other professionals or Nairobi County officials led to the collapse on 9th Street. His office said the county had never sent it an inquiry file about the project. Citizen TV reported that county officers arrested 14 people linked to the site in June over planning-law breaches and that 10 were released on cash bail without being charged.

Records of the National Construction Authority list 9th Street Plaza Limited as developer and Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as contractor, along with a registered architect and structural engineer. In a lawyer's letter to the authority dated Oct. 24, the engineer said he designed a 15-floor building, never received the approval code and provided no further services, Mjengo Hub reported. He disputes any responsibility. Being listed does not establish fault, and no one has been charged over the collapse.

Harrison Keter, president of the Engineers Board of Kenya, told Citizen TV the collapse was no accident and that procedures were ignored from design and approval through construction, The Eastleigh Voice reported. He cited reports that the building was approved for 15 floors and reached 18, and said a change like that requires revised structural calculations and fresh approval. He also faulted professionals who leave a project without telling the authorities. Engineers have called it a pancake failure, with columns giving way and floors falling onto each other. Governor Johnson Sakaja has said the building had county approval but no occupation certificate.

As of Oct. 28, at least 16 people were missing and rescuers had cleared about 85 percent of the rubble, Kenyans.co.ke reported. Chinese teams with detection equipment had located two people alive who had not yet been reached. Most of those believed trapped had been running businesses in the unfinished building. Detectives have questioned one of the building's owners as well as several Nairobi County staff.