The search for survivors at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, turned tragic on Friday after rescue workers recovered the body of a woman, eight days after the multi-storey structure came crashing down.
The building, which was still under construction, collapsed along 9th Street on October 23, trapping several people beneath tonnes of concrete and debris.
Emergency response teams have continued working around the clock to access the lower sections of the structure, particularly the basement, where some of the missing individuals are suspected to have been trapped.
The operation has faced significant challenges as emergency teams work to clear the remaining debris and reach the lower sections of the building.
Authorities say approximately 85 per cent of the debris has been cleared, with the ongoing operation now concentrating on accessing the remaining sections of the collapsed structure.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said 16 people remained unaccounted for following a verification exercise conducted by the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Osumba disclosed that investigators had relied on mobile phone data to establish that nine of the missing individuals were at the building shortly before it collapsed.
Authorities are pursuing information concerning four other cases, while three families are yet to provide phone numbers to facilitate efforts to trace their missing relatives.
Hopes of finding more survivors had earlier been raised after specialised rescue equipment detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble.
National Disaster Management Unit Director Dr Duncan Ochieng said rescue teams were working to access the areas where the possible signs of life had been detected.
The recovery of the woman’s body adds to the growing toll of the disaster, which has also triggered investigations into possible breaches of construction regulations and failures in building supervision.
Detectives have reportedly questioned one of the developers, alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority, as investigations seek to establish what led to the collapse.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed the DCI to investigate possible negligence, omissions or misconduct by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.
The DPP clarified that, as of the date of its statement, Nairobi City County Government had not forwarded any inquiry file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) concerning alleged malpractices by the developer, construction professionals or county officials connected to the project.
The investigations will examine whether acts or omissions by Nairobi County officials, the private developer, contractors or other professionals involved in the planning, approval, supervision and construction of the building contributed to the collapse.
The directive was issued pursuant to Article 157(4) of the Constitution, which empowers the DPP to direct the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to investigate information or allegations of criminal conduct.
Upon completion of the investigations, the DCI is expected to submit the inquiry file to the ODPP for independent review and further directions.
The ODPP said it would take appropriate prosecutorial action against anyone found criminally culpable, provided sufficient evidence is established, regardless of their position or status.
The latest developments come amid a public disagreement between Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and national government agencies over accountability for the recurring collapse of buildings in the capital.
Sakaja has blamed government agencies, including the police and the ODPP, over their handling of cases involving collapsed structures in Nairobi.
However, the agencies have denied the allegations, setting the stage for further scrutiny of the respective roles of county authorities, national government institutions, developers and construction professionals in enforcing building safety regulations.
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