Corruption, Regulatory Failures and Disregard for the Law Must End
27th October 2026
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) expresses its sympathy to the victims of the collapsed multi-storey building in Eastleigh, Nairobi. We wish those injured a quick recover.
We commend the emergency responders working to rescue those still not accounted for. However, as rescue and recovery efforts continue, the country must confront the deeper failures that allow dangerous construction practices to persist despite the existence of laws, regulations and institutions mandated to protect public safety. The fundamental problem is not the absence of laws. It is corruption, failure to enforce existing laws and regulations, and the apparent impunity with which development control requirements can be disregarded.
Building collapses are not inevitable. They are preventable tragedies when the law is respected, regulatory institutions perform their duties, construction standards are enforced and those entrusted with public safety are held accountable. Where approvals are irregularly obtained, safety requirements ignored, inspections compromised or enforcement action deliberately frustrated, the consequences can be catastrophic. Corruption in development control is not merely an administrative failure; where it compromises structural safety, it puts human lives at risk. The Eastleigh tragedy must prompt more than an investigation into one building. It must trigger a serious examination of the wider systems through which developments are approved, inspected and enforced.
KARA is deeply concerned that repeated building failures continue to raise questions about the integrity and effectiveness of the systems responsible for approving, supervising and regulating construction. The people of Kenya cannot continue to pay with their lives for failures of governance, professional negligence or corruption.
KARA’S DEMANDS
1. Immediate, independent and transparent investigations
We are aware that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has already directed the Director of Criminal Investigations to carry out a probe into the circumstances that led to the collapse of the building and recommend appropriate action against those found culpable. It is our expectations that the investigations will be thorough and impartial and not just another attempt to cover up for the culprits. Investigators must examine the conduct of all relevant parties, including the developer, contractor, consultants, approving authorities, inspectors and any public officials involved in the project. The findings must be made public, and must identify the failures that allowed this tragedy to occur.
2. Prosecution and appropriate sanctions against all those found culpable
We demand that any individual or institution found, on the basis of credible evidence and due process, to have engaged in corruption, falsified approvals, professional misconduct, negligence or other unlawful conduct be held accountable. Those suspected of criminal offences must be investigated and prosecuted where the evidence supports prosecution. Public officials must not be shielded because of their positions, influence or political connections. Developers, contractors and professionals must equally face the legal and professional consequences of proven violations. There must be no selective enforcement, no cover-ups and no protection for those responsible. Administrative action alone is insufficient where criminal conduct is established.
3. An urgent safety audit of buildings across Nairobi
Nairobi City County, working with the National Construction Authority (NCA), the National Building Inspectorate, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and relevant professional bodies, must undertake an urgent, risk-based audit of ongoing and completed buildings. Buildings assessed as unsafe must be subjected to appropriate enforcement measures, including evacuation, cessation of construction, and demolition where legally warranted. Public safety must take precedence over commercial interests.
4. Strict enforcement of building approvals and construction standards
No development should be allowed to proceed without the approvals required by law. Construction must comply with approved architectural and structural designs, applicable building codes, safety standards and professional requirements. Authorities must verify that contractors and professionals are appropriately registered and qualified, that construction materials meet required standards, and that independent inspections and supervision are undertaken at critical stages.
5. Zero tolerance for occupation without statutory clearance
No building should be occupied before all legally required inspections, compliance checks and occupation certificates have been completed and verified. The reported occupation of parts of a building that was still under construction raises serious questions about the effectiveness of compliance monitoring. Authorities must establish how such occupation occurred and take action against anyone found to have unlawfully permitted or facilitated it.
6. Make development approvals transparent and publicly verifiable
County governments must publish accessible information on building approvals, approved plans, relevant environmental licenses, project registrations, inspection outcomes and occupation certificates, subject to applicable law. Resident Associations and directly affected neighbours must receive timely notification of proposed developments and meaningful opportunities to raise objections before decisions are finalized. Public participation must be genuine, and objections must be properly recorded and addressed. Digital systems should enable residents to verify approvals, report suspected violations and track enforcement action. Transparency is a critical safeguard against corruption, irregular approvals and the abuse of regulatory discretion.
KARA stands ready to work with public authorities and professional institutions to strengthen community oversight, promote compliance and improve neighbourhood safety. Our position is unequivocal: Kenya does not lack laws to regulate construction; it lacks consistent, credible and uncompromising enforcement of those laws. Corruption must be confronted, regulatory failures corrected, and those found culpable held accountable. The Eastleigh collapse must be a turning point. We cannot continue to issue condolences after every building disaster while the failures that put lives at risk remain unaddressed.
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA)
For inquiries, please contact
The Chief Executive Officer
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA)
[email protected]; 0725983445