Task force blames engineering failures in Mombasa building collapse

Engineers Board of Kenya Registrar Margaret Ogai. [File,Standard]

A task force investigating the collapse of an 11-storey building in Mombasa has blamed the disaster on engineering and regulatory failures.

On April 9, a multi-agency assessment declared the building at Fayaz Estate, Kilifi Corner, structurally unsafe after unauthorised borehole drilling caused severe foundation damage. Ground floor columns sank by about three metres.

A Kenya Defence Forces team carried out a controlled demolition using explosives to avert collapse.

The findings were published in a report titled Why The Building Collapsed – And What We’re Doing About It, released on Friday, May 30.

The report followed a February meeting between Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), led by Chair Erastus Mwongera and Registrar Margaret Ogai.

Ogai said the report detailed the causes of the collapse and outlined those responsible.

EBK linked the collapse to unlicensed practice, poor supervision and failure to meet approval requirements. The board called for tighter enforcement, urging counties to verify credentials using EBK’s licensing database and require signed site supervision records.

“Building designs must be reviewed only by engineers licensed and gazetted by the board,” said Ogai.

“Site supervision must be documented and signed by the responsible engineer to prevent credentials lending,” she added.

She said the Governor’s action demonstrated the kind of accountability lacking in past incidents.

“This is not just about what failed, it is about what must now be fixed,” said Ogai.