'I served porridge not knowing it was his last'

By Lucianne Limo

Oscar Oduor walked pensively on top of boulders of the collapsed building after receiving news that it had crumbled trapping his elder brother and colleagues.

He bravely moved to pull his brother out of the rubble of the six-storey building, but it was too late.

The lifeless body of his brother, Moses Okoth, a construction worker, lay weighed down by the rubble.

Okoth was among three people who died after the residential building under construction situated at Pipeline Embakasi collapsed at 11am on Tuesday.

A distraught Oduor later watched from far as rescuers raced against time to save more lives.

Away from the scene, women huddled to console Susan Naitore, 24, whose husband was still trapped in the rubble.

Breadwinner

"I received a call in the morning from a friend who informed me that the building where my husband works had collapsed trapping them inside," she said amid sobs.

Naitore recounted that she immediately called his number but his phone was off.

Oscar Oduor, a brother to one of the workers who died in the tragedy. Photo: Collins Kweyu/Standard

"My heart skipped because that hardly happens. His phone is always switched on. I rushed to the scene only to find the building was on the ground," she said.

Naitore, who is a housewife, recalled that her husband woke up early as usual to go to work.

"I served him porridge not knowing that was the last meal we were having together as a family," recounted Naitore who has been left with a two-year-old boy.

"He was the breadwinner and I do not know what I will do," she added.

Kenya Red Cross Society said at least two people died and several others were still trapped in the ill-fated building.

Eight others suffered injuries and were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Those injured were 13 men and one woman.

The organisation’s Nairobi Branch Chairman Kweya Obedi said 14 people were still unaccounted for.

He said that the country was still not prepared in tackling disasters noting that equipment arrived at the site four hours after the tragedy.

Registered architect

Architectural Association of Kenya Chairman Musembi Mumo blamed the disaster on cheap building materials.

He further pointed out that steel bars used in the building could not support six stories.

Mumo noted according to Nairobi master plan, buildings within the area are not supposed to exceed three floors.

"Buildings with more than three floors are not allowed in this area yet most building here are two to seven floors up, "he added.

Mumo further noted there was no signboard indicating who were the engineers, architects and the developers of the building.

"The building was obviously constructed by unscrupulous people because any house designed by a registered architect must have the board.

Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu who toured the area said City Council Planning Department was sleeping on the job.

He said so many unplanned houses have come up within Embakasi Constituency yet the council has not approved them.

"I call upon the council to stop all construction work in Embakasi unless they have followed all the requirements as stipulated by the planning department, "he said.

Mafundi wa Kenya Association Chairman George Okari said the owner of the house was greedy and wanted to complete it in three months. He asked construction workers not to take up construction jobs not approved by the City Council.