BY PRUDENCE WANZA- Huruma residents are staring at imminent death, after the National Construction Authority (NCA) classified more than 1000 buildings in the area as very dangerous and unsafe to live in.
The Audit by NCA just shows how residents in Nairobi are living in dangerous buildings unknowingly.
Out of the audited 14,751 buildings, 10,648 will collapse soon according to an audit update conducted between 2015 to 2018.
Buildings along Thika Road were also not left out with 100 marked as very dangerous to live in and 448 unsafe.
NCA has also tested 97 buildings and 51 of them have been marked for removal.
Hardest hit areas are Pipeline, Umoja, Thika Road, Baba Dogo, South B, Nairobi West and Mathare.
However, as of 7th October 2019 the Authority had audited 14,895 buildings with 723 permanent structures being declared unsafe.
Last year, 2018 June, a five storey building in Huruma collapsed claiming 3 lives and several were injured.
This month a six storey building collapsed in Tassia Embakasi constituency killing 10 people and injuring several.
Several other buildings have also collapsed in Nairobi and its outskirts claiming more lives.
Principal Secretary for Public Works Gordon Kihalangwa, said in a statement that the government is already in the process of developing a new draft on building regulations code. Previously the government relied on regulations code developed in 1968 which is not consistent with the emerging trends and technology.
According to Kihalangwa a committee has already been put in place to review and finalize the draft on National building regulations under the NCA.
The revised building code will ensure punitive measures are taken against non compliant buildings which will include improving the penalties.
“Elimination of failure and collapse of buildings in Kenya is a matter of national concern that requires urgent interventions.” The PS said.
Kihalangwa urged all stakeholders to be involved in the process as the government is working to endsure to additional lives are lost as a result of structural deficiencies.
