Eastleigh building: Search for missing people enters day two

An 18-storey building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Friday. This incident raises familiar questions about whether building rules are being followed and properly enforced.

Kenya has witnessed too many building collapses. Each incident puts workers, residents and passers-by at risk. Post-disaster investigations are necessary, but they cannot replace checks during construction.

County governments must ensure that developers obtain approvals before building begins and follow the approved plans. Qualified professionals must supervise construction, and inspectors must visit sites at key stages to check structural work before it is covered up or more floors are added.

However, these inspections must not become another source of bribes because this, unnecessary red tape and approval delays are what push developers to take shortcuts. Counties should publish official fees, record inspections digitally and make approval documents easy to obtain and verify.

Builders who skip approvals or ignore safety requirements should face heavy penalties, while officials who knowingly approve unsafe work must also be held accountable.

The aim is not to create more paperwork or give inspectors another way to make money. It is to ensure that buildings are safe before people enter them.

Quote of the Day: "Every unpunished murder takes away something from the security of every man's life." —US Secretary of State, politician and lawyer Daniel Webster died on October 24, 1852