Nairobi City County has said the building that collapsed in Shauri Moyo, killing four people, had been earmarked for demolition under the ongoing Nairobi River regeneration programme.
In a statement, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja indicated the building was located along the Nairobi River riparian corridor and had been identified for removal as part of efforts to reclaim encroached riverbanks.
“The collapsed structure was among those located along the Nairobi River riparian corridor earmarked for removal under the ongoing Nairobi River Regeneration Programme,” Sakaja stated.
According to the county government, preliminary findings show that the four victims were salvaging steel and other materials from the abandoned building when it caved in.
Four other victims were rescued alive, with two taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment, while two were attended to at the scene.
Governor Sakaja has urged residents living along riparian reserves to relocate from high-risk zones, citing rising river levels following recent heavy rains.
“Nairobi City County, through the Department of Urban Development and Planning, continues to caution residents living along riparian areas and riverbanks to take immediate safety precautions and voluntarily relocate from these high-risk zones, especially following the recent heavy rains that have significantly raised water levels in several rivers across the city,” he said.
