NAIROBI, Kenya — Operations at Ardhi House were briefly disrupted on Monday after residents from South C staged a protest, piling pressure on Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome over a fatal building collapse earlier this year.
The demonstrators, under the South C Residents Association, gathered outside the ministry offices demanding action months after a 16-storey building along Muhoho Avenue collapsed in January, killing two people.
In a strongly worded statement, the group accused authorities of failing to act against those allegedly responsible, saying investigations promised by the government have yet to yield public results.
“It has been over nine months since the tragic collapse… the silence from the government is now deafening,” the association said.
The residents raised fresh concerns over the safety of a nearby apartment block, alleging it exceeds approved building limits and sustained structural damage during the collapse.
Association chairman Abdi Karim Hassan called on the ministry to release findings of a multi-agency probe involving the National Construction Authority (NCA), National Building Inspectorate (NBI), Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS), and Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).
“The CS must immediately release the findings of the multi-agency team… and a status report on the adjacent building,” Hassan said, adding that residents want either a public safety certification or an immediate demolition order.
According to the group, the neighbouring structure was approved for 10 floors but has been extended to 15, raising fears of another potential disaster.
Protesters waved placards and chanted slogans, accusing authorities of inaction despite earlier assurances. In a statement dated January 5, 2026, Wahome had pledged a formal inquiry and a nationwide compliance audit targeting unsafe buildings.
However, residents say no report has been made public, intensifying concerns over accountability in the construction sector.
A prior joint assessment by the Architectural Association of Kenya and the NCA cited alleged professional negligence and regulatory breaches as possible causes of the collapse.
The association is now pushing for criminal proceedings against those involved, including the developer, consultants, and county officials. Residents say they have already written to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja seeking action.
They further accused enforcement agencies of enabling a “culture of impunity,” pointing to multiple stop orders issued in 2025 that allegedly failed to halt construction.
“Public safety cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political connections or developer greed,” the statement said.
Analysts say the protest underscores persistent regulatory challenges in Kenya’s construction sector, raising broader questions about enforcement, accountability, and the protection of public safety in urban development.
