The Government has warned developers who construct buildings that have been declared unsafe to follow the law.
Speaking as he launched Guidelines to Promote Healthy Homes, Public Works PS Solomon Kitungu said such developers who portray themselves as architects take advantage to construct at night.
He noted that the government has in the last three months, inspected and tested over 300 buildings in Nairobi and that the same is happening in other major towns.
The PS said for now already 90 buildings have been marked unsafe in Nairobi and urged Kenyans to be on the lookout and report to the chief’s office, if they see anyone building a house that is marked unsafe, adding that most of the quacks build at night.
Kitungu claimed that the collapsed buildings were without signposts and had fake approvals, meaning they were not constructed by professionals.
“Whatever buildings are collapsing now, were identified as unsafe buildings and were built at night,” he said.
According to the PS, the government is currently addressing the issue by building houses at night. They also stated that buildings will cease collapsing once they are done.
The PS mentioned that the most severely affected areas in Nairobi’s Eastland were the ones closest to Nairobi and Kiambu County.
He also said that there have been issues with collapsing properties in areas surrounding Nairobi.
Two buildings fell this week, a Kasarani seven-storey building in Nairobi and Ruaka six-storey Ruaka building on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Architectural Association of Kenya has been urging Nairobi County Government to revise the current building code to prevent buildings from collapsing as was seen in Nairobi and Kiambu.
Catherine Muindi
Source: kenyanews
