The Nairobi Governor called for counties to regain prosecutorial powers to strengthen enforcement against developers who violate construction rules, arguing that the penalties imposed for such offences were too low to deter wrongdoing.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has revealed that the multi-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh on Friday had received county construction approval but lacked an occupation certificate, raising questions about how shops were allowed to operate on its ground floor while construction continued.

The building collapsed along 9th Street, First Avenue, in the busy Eastleigh commercial area, triggering a major rescue operation as workers and other people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.

The Eastleigh Voice has since established that some shops on the building’s ground floor were operational before the collapse.