Fifteen people are missing following the collapsing of a 7-storey building on Monday night in Kware area of Embakasi in Nairobi County.
The building according to City Hall reports was put up in 2007 and had not been approved.
Lands County Executive Christopher Khaemba said the area had not been approved for any developments but due to political pressure, politicians have been lobbying and have several investors put up structures.
“Kware area was unplanned. No developments are allowed there. But you find that most of these developers were brought by politicians,” said Khaemba as told by the Star.
Reports by Kenya Red Cross indicate that so far, 121 people have been accounted for.
They are reported to have been evacuated minutes after the building started caving in on Monday at 6pm.
The building later collapsed with a loud bang the same day at around 10pm.
Before its collapse, cracks had begun to emerge on its walls. It was later condemned but never brought down and tenants continued to occupy it.
This is not the first building to collapse in the country.
Last year, a five-storey building in Nairobi’s Kariobangi area tumbled down No one was hurt however.