Three buildings evacuated in Kariobangi
Three buildings next to an apartment that collapsed in Kariobangi, Nairobi, on Saturday morning have been evacuated.
The buildings have visible compromised structural status according to Housing and Urban Planning Principal Secretary Charles Hinga and therefore pose a danger to inhabitants.
In the Kariobangi , all residents who lived in the four-storey building were evacuated before it collapsed at 3.50am and no casualties were reported.
CRACKS
According to residents, cracks began to appear on the building around 10pm Friday.
Committee comprising various state agencies including the National Construction Authority has started investigations into the matter and is expected to issue a report within 48 hours.
Many buildings in Nairobi’s Eastlands have been listed by NCA as poorly constructed.
After several buildings collapsed in 2015, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an audit.
The National Building Inspectorate was formed as a result of a presidential directive following the Huruma collapse in April 2016 which claimed 52 lives.
The mandate of the Inspectorate, whose members are drawn from NCA, county governments and several other state agencies, was to bring synergy in the regulation of the industry.
POOR QUALITY
The audit covered most parts of Eastlands, Dagoretti, Kasarani, Zimmerman, Roysambu, Githurai 44 and 45, Garden estate, Thome, and Kilimani and concluded that buildings collapse because of poor quality of concrete, lack of proper foundation and use of substandard building stones.
Collapsed structures can also be attributed to lack of enforcement as NCA relies on county governments and the Kenya Police to enforce closure notices of buildings that have been found non-compliant with the quality assurance checklist.
“It is unfortunate that despite the ongoing efforts to enhance the integrity of our construction sector, the country is still faced with such cases of gross incompetence leading to collapsed buildings,” Mr Hinga said.