The collapse of a seven-storey building in South C this week was not an accident; it was a statistical inevitability. A chilling report by the National Construction Authority (NCA) reveals that nearly 80% of buildings in Nairobi are structurally unsafe, sitting like ticking time bombs in a city teeming with life.

As rescue crews sift through the rubble of the Abyan Consulting project along Muhoho Avenue, the spotlight has turned to the systemic rot in Kenya's construction sector. Corruption, shortcuts, and a culture of impunity have created a built environment where profit is prioritized over human life.

The Grim Numbers

An audit covering over 14,000 buildings paints a terrifying picture. Of the structures inspected, only 2,194 were deemed "safe." A staggering 10,791 were classified as "unsafe," and 723 as "very dangerous"—meaning they could collapse at any moment.

• The Human Cost: Since 1990, building collapses have killed over 200 Kenyans and injured thousands more. The economy has lost an estimated KES 2.4 billion in wasted investments.
• The South C Case: Lands CS Alice Wahome revealed that the collapsed building had been illegally extended by four floors. "The county bears responsibility for approving floors when the foundation could not hold," she stated.
• Regulatory Failure: Despite strict laws, enforcement is virtually non-existent. Developers simply pay bribes to bypass inspections, using substandard concrete and steel to shave costs.

A City on the Edge

Experts warn that with the current El Niño rains weakening foundations, more collapses are imminent. The NCA report is a damning indictment of the National Building Inspectorate and Nairobi County officials. Until we jail the architects of these death traps, Nairobians will continue to sleep in buildings that are essentially concrete coffins.