Babu Owino accuses Sakaja of lying over approval of the collapsed Eastleigh building

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has alleged that Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja misled Kenyans about the approval status of a building that collapsed in Eastleigh, claiming county records show that the development received approval in February 2024.

In a statement on October 25, 2026, Owino said the governor had claimed that the building lacked approval, despite the existence of a Nairobi City County document authorising the proposed development.

Owino published what he described as the building's approval document, dated February 13, 2024, and accused Sakaja of failing to take responsibility for the tragedy.

“Sakaja lied to Kenyans that the building that collapsed in Eastleigh had no approval, yet he approved the construction. I have posted the approval that was done on 13th February, 2024. This is a big joke from the incompetent Sakaja. He must take responsibility for this tragedy after collecting a bribe of 120million,” he said.

The document published by Owino is titled Notification of Approval of Application and was issued by Nairobi City County under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019.

It identifies the application as PLUPA-COU-000821-N and states that the Urban Planning Technical Committee approved the proposed development on February 13, 2024, under Item No. 2.

According to the document, physical planner Okeya Hempstone Nyawanda submitted the application on December 27, 2023, registered under number 2096A.

The proposed project comprised 35 residential units, including one three-bedroom unit, 22 two-bedroom units, and 12 one-bedroom units, along with a restaurant, mosque, and shops.

The development was to be constructed on parcel LR No. 36/11/40 along 9th Street in Eastleigh, within Kamukunji Sub-county.

The approval document listed conditions requiring the submission of satisfactory structural details covering foundations, beams, columns and trusses. It also required certification of workmanship by registered architects and structural engineers, along with an occupation certificate upon completion, before the building could be occupied.

However, the document does not establish whether all the conditions were met or whether the building received the necessary occupation certificate.

The dispute follows the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction along 9th Street, near Yusuf Haji Avenue in Eastleigh, on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The incident occurred at about 1 pm, triggering a multi-agency emergency response as workers and other people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.

The building had more than 10 floors under construction, with some ground floor rooms already occupied.

On saturday, two pwho was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Kenya Red Cross said it had traced and accounted for 66 of the 67 construction workers who reported being at the site, although it was still verifying reports of missing people.

The organisation received 31 missing-person reports, while government officials cited a smaller number of people believed to remain trapped. The discrepancy highlighted the difficulties of establishing how many people were inside or near the building when it collapsed.

The Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi City County emergency teams, police, the National Disaster Management Unit and other agencies participated in the rescue operation. Excavators and sniffer dogs were deployed to remove debris and help locate survivors.

The Red Cross urged members of the public to keep away from the scene to allow emergency personnel to work safely. The Ministry of Health also established a 24-hour response desk to coordinate medical assistance and support affected families.

Sakaja has said a review of county records showed that the application for the proposed multi-storey building had not been approved, although a change-of-use approval had been granted in 2024.

He questioned how construction proceeded without the necessary approval for the proposed development and called for accountability among the professionals involved.

Government Spokesperson Charles Owino also said building plans had been submitted to the county but had not been approved, raising suspicions that documents presented to the National Construction Authority could have been forged.

The Engineers Board of Kenya launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including the possible role of engineers involved in the project. The board said confirmed breaches of professional standards or engineering obligations could attract regulatory action.

As rescue and accountability efforts continue, the legislator has called on Governor Sakaja to take responsibility, arguing that the document he published contradicts the governor's account.