A man was on Monday, February 5, rushed to a city hospital while in critical condition after a wall reportedly collapsed on him in Parklands, Nairobi County.
Residents who witnessed the incident stated the man was going about his normal activities and happened to pass near a private school, whose weak wall, unfortunately, came tumbling down on him.
A video which has since gone viral, depicted a security guard at the scene claiming that the wall collapsed following an explosion. According to his narration, two other men including a trader who operates a small-scale business stall nearby, escaped the collapse by a whimper, leaving the main victim as the only person to emerge from the incident with injuries.
The video depicted eyewitnesses at the scene stating that the man was unconscious but alive.
"He is still alive but his arm is broken. Others were also injured and are receiving treatment," one of the eyewitnesses could be heard saying.
Moments after being rescued from the rubble, the man was transported to the hospital using the private school's van.
Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to reach out to the school for comment did not bear any fruit.
Kenyans have in the past raised questions over the quality of Kenyan buildings, especially in Nairobi with most calling for tougher enforcement of regulations.
In 2023, over 10 buildings countrywide collapsed forcing the tenants to move. In most of these instances, the buildings were under construction which naturally led to NCA being put on the spot.
For instance, in September 2023, a 10-storey building collapsed in Mirema, Nairobi. The National Construction Authority (NCA) would in a statement thereafter, reveal that the tumble was caused by various factors including poor structural concrete.
Similarly, in March last year, hawkers in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) were injured after materials from a building started falling on them leading to several injuries and the relocation of multiple businesses.
Earlier in the year, February to be particular, the Nairobi County Government announced that a building safety audit would be conducted in Pipeline, Tassia, Kayole, Mwiki, Dagoretti and Dandora to guarantee tenant safety.
