Mombasa governor, Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir, halted the construction of 162 buildings after receiving the findings of a task force he established to check on the compliance construction projects.
The task force, established in September 2022, was tasked with determining the root cause of faulty buildings, guided by the menace witnessed in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
“I hereby order and direct the immediate issuance of stop orders on these structures and immediate regularisation,” the governor stated on Friday, November 18
Nassir, detailed that the task force discovered rot in the issuance of building approval permits and compliance to construction laws and regulations.
Three buildings in the county were said to be on the verge of causing a tragedy.
“The three hazardous buildings under construction do not meet the bare minimum safety standard and do not have approvals,” Nassir revealed.
Nassir further revealed that some contractors obtain necessary permits but do not adhere to regulations.
“There are sixty-two buildings that have violated the terms of the approvals that were issued and have built extended floors,” he exposed.
“Ninety-seven buildings have been constructed without the requisite approvals,” Nassir added.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) estimated that 200 people lost their lives and 1000 were injured in collapsed buildings in the last 5 years.
Six buildings collapsed in Nairobi and its environs in the space of only six months in 2022.
Former Transport CS James Macharia revealed that contractors and property owners are greedy, thus circumventing laws to save on costs.
"Greed for money should not be the determining factor for any project. Instead, the investor should consider the safety of the workers and the people who will occupy the house thereafter,” Macharia warned contractors on December 20, 2021
