Nairobi Building Collapse: A Manhunt and a Paperwork Problem
Two people have been pulled alive from the rubble of a building that collapsed in Nairobi on Friday, as a search continues for five people still missing. Police said a manhunt had been launched for the building's owner and the contractor responsible for the site.
Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson told local media that the owners did not have the required paperwork for the building to be occupied. Officials said 11 shops had already opened on the bottom floors. Johnson urged the national government to give local authorities greater powers to penalise developers who disregard approved building plans and safety standards.
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A manhunt gives the story a clear target, but Johnson's request for stronger local powers points to a less personal problem: developers who disregard approved plans and safety standards.
Stronger penalties may help, but the National Construction Authority said it had identified the company, architect and structural engineer without saying whether the site had been inspected before Friday.