Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan calls on Sakaja to dismantle Nairobi planning department after Eastleigh building collapse

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan calls on Sakaja to dismantle Nairobi planning department after Eastleigh building collapse

He accused the department of corruption, saying its failures had created conditions that contributed to disasters in Nairobi.

Kamukunji Member of Parliament (MP) Yusuf Hassan has called on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to stop the blame games and dismantle the county’s planning department following the collapse of the multi-storey building in Eastleigh, accusing the department of corruption and poor oversight that he says have contributed to disasters in the city.

Speaking on Monday evening after visiting the site of the collapsed building on 9th Street in Eastleigh, Yusuf urged Sakaja to use the remaining 10 months of his leadership to overhaul the department and prevent similar incidents.

“I want to call upon my brother that for the remaining 10 months, please rescue your situation by abolishing, by completely dismantling the planning department before we get more disasters like this,” he said.

He accused the department of corruption, saying its failures had created conditions that contributed to disasters in Nairobi.

“His planning department in Nairobi County has a rotten body there that is corrupt, that has created the conditions that has led to some of the disasters we’ve had in Nairobi,” he said.

The building, which was still under construction, collapsed on Friday, October 23, 2026, trapping construction workers and business operators.

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At least 47 people are feared trapped beneath the rubble, while families of the missing have expressed emotional distress over the prolonged wait and lack of information about their loved ones’ condition.

Four people have so far been rescued as search operations continue.

Yusuf revealed that a Chinese search-and-rescue team, Blue Sky Rescue (USAR), had joined the operation with specialised equipment and detected two people alive in the building’s basement, raising hopes of finding more survivors.

The legislator, however, called for faster clearance of roads around the collapsed building, saying the incident had disrupted business and caused major economic losses for traders and investors in Eastleigh.

He said the area had remained closed for several days, leaving businesses at a standstill and affecting people’s livelihoods.

“We would like the authorities to accelerate the process and to come here to clear the road so that people can get on with their lives, their businesses, their livelihoods and so on,” he said.

The MP praised rescue teams for working day and night to find survivors, thanking the local government, the Kenya Red Cross, the National Police Service, the Kenya Defence Forces and volunteers who had joined the operation.

“I’m grateful that up to four people have already been found and rescued. I have just seen the families whose loved ones are missing. We stand with them,” he said.

Yusuf said Kenya could not prevent every disaster but needed better preparation, stronger oversight and well-trained rescue teams.

“You can never avert a disaster. Disasters happen every day. But of course, we can be better prepared,” he said.

He called for better governance and public officers committed to ensuring that approved construction projects meet the required standards. He also urged the government to strengthen emergency response teams and review the support, funding and policies available to disaster management agencies.

Meanwhile, Sakaja has called for investigations into the building’s collapse, saying county records showed that an application to construct a 15-storey building with a basement had not been approved.

The governor said the property’s representatives had received approval for a change of use in 2024, but the subsequent construction application was rejected.

“We’ve looked at the documentation. They had applied in 2024 for a change of use. That was granted. Then an application was made through one John Mutia Musyoke, who is the developer on record. That application was to do 15 plus basements. The application was never granted, meaning there is no approval for this construction,” Sakaja said.

He said the county had forwarded documents to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), calling for investigations into the developer, construction professionals and public officers who may have failed to enforce building regulations.

On Monday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed the DCI to investigate the collapse and establish whether anyone should face criminal charges.

The ODPP said the Nairobi City County Government had not submitted an inquiry file on possible wrongdoing linked to the construction.

“As of the date of this statement, no inquiry file relating to the construction of the building has ever been forwarded to the Office by the Nairobi City County Government,” the ODPP said.

The office said investigators would examine the actions of county officials, the developer, contractors and other professionals involved in planning, approval, supervision and construction.