Nairobi: Nearly 80 people evacuated as 8-story building begins to crack in South B

• Nairobi County politician Rodriques Mulindi said the occupants of the newly built apartment were at risk of losing their lives.
• The owner of the dilapidated building asked the politician to let the tenants stay and promised to rectify the contractor’s disaster.
• Mulindi also revealed that the occupants of nearby informal structures were also evacuated.

TUKO.co.ke journalist Nancy Odindo brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news and reporting in digital and print media in Kenya.

Nairobi – As Kenya grapples with the tragic loss of life due to heavy rains, tension rose in the South B area when cracks appeared in an eight-story building.

Located in a swampy area and housing almost 80 families, the structure began to show alarming signs of collapse.

In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Rodriguez Mulindi, Governor Johnson Sakaja’s protocol officer, detailed the rapid evacuation efforts undertaken to safeguard the lives of endangered families and other tenants in adjacent buildings.

“When I discovered that the building was cracking, I had no choice but to quickly evacuate them. The building was eight stories high and housed almost 80 families. And the worst of all is that it is a swampy area and is a few kilometers from the Ngong River “I am happy that they took my advice and left, including those who had occupied the mabati structures around the building,” he said.

Why did the South B building crack?

Mulindi revealed that the landlord implored him to leave the tenants behind, promising to rectify the structural problems, attributing the building’s instability to inadequate construction by the contractor.

“The building was slowly returning to its original position because mistakes were made during construction where certain supports were not installed correctly. They are now working to fix the problem without jeopardizing the safety of the people living in the building,” Mulindi echoed. feelings of the owner.

He highlighted that the structure was still under development at the time of the evacuation.

Mulindi calls for caution in the face of heavy rains

He urged Kenyans to exercise caution, especially during the rainy season, stressing that risking lives to appease landowners only exacerbates the danger.

Mulindi lamented that occupants of such buildings often sympathize with their owners, underscoring the need for greater vigilance and accountability to ensure public safety.

“The building was still under construction even at the time of evacuation. People rushed to occupy the houses immediately after they were completed. The problem we have with most settlers in those areas is that they tend to sympathize with the owner instead of prioritizing their lives and those of their beloved families.

Mulindi reacts after the collapse of a building after the evacuation

In another story, the politician felt happy after saving numerous lives from a building that collapsed a week after the evacuation.

Mulindi faced criticism from locals and the owner but remained determined to fulfill his mission based on the obvious danger he observed.

He told how residents changed their minds after the collapse, praising him as a prophet who saved their lives.

What else do you need to know about the heavy rains in Kenya?

Review by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke