Engineers demand nationwide construction safety reforms after building collapses claim nine lives in two days

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has called for urgent nationwide construction safety reforms following building tragedies in Syokimau and Riverside that reportedly claimed at least nine lives in two days.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the institution demanded independent investigations, stricter inspections and accountability for developers, contractors and professionals found culpable in construction failures.

IEK said the successive incidents on November 13 and 14 exposed persistent weaknesses in engineering design, construction practices, professional supervision, inspection and regulatory enforcement.

The institution warned that the country could not continue counting casualties, issuing condolences and making promises while systemic weaknesses in the construction sector remained unaddressed.

The institution said its preliminary assessment of the Syokimau incident pointed to the need to investigate the temporary structures supporting the concrete slab, including formwork, falsework and vertical props, as well as pre-concreting inspections and concrete placement procedures.

For the Riverside incident, IEK said investigations should focus on the system supporting the excavation and its retaining walls, which failed during construction.

It cautioned that these were preliminary technical observations and not conclusions on the causes of the incidents or responsibility.

IEK called on the National and County Governments, the National Construction Authority (NCA), the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) and other regulatory agencies to conduct comprehensive investigations and prevent work from resuming at affected sites until safety clearance is granted.

It also wants developers to engage registered professional engineers for design and supervision throughout construction until occupation certificates are issued.

The institution further called for nationwide safety audits of high-risk construction projects and a coordinated review of construction regulations, inspection and enforcement mechanisms.

IEK warned that developers, contractors and building owners must comply with legal and technical requirements, including occupational safety standards and the provision of protective equipment to workers.

"No project deadline, commercial interest or construction programme should ever take precedence over human life," the institution said.

IEK President Engineer Harrison Kiplimo Keter said the institution would share its technical observations with investigating agencies and support disciplinary action against engineers found culpable.

The Syokimau tragedy occurred on November 13 when a building under construction partially collapsed during concreting works, killing six workers and injuring five others.

A day later, a perimeter wall collapsed at a construction site in Riverside, Nairobi, killing three people and injuring 11 others.

The incidents came less than a month after an eight-storey building collapsed in Eastleigh on October 23, killing eight people.