Signs of cover-up as blame shifts over collapsed Mombasa building

Debris of the condemned 11-storey building after the demolition, in Bondeni, Mombasa, on April 9, 2025. [Kelvin Karani, Standard] A partner of the firm that designed the 11-storey building brought down by soldiers in Mombasa is the county architect who stamps all building plans before they are approved. In a clear case of conflict of interest, John Kinuthia, the county architect, is a partner at Disaini Team Firm, an architectural firm that designs most of the building plans in Mombasa. The 11-storey building off Abdel Nasser Road at Kilifi area, Bondeni, tilted and its two floors sank last week burying one man alive. The family of the man identified as Yusuf Ali Abdi said he was a prospective buyer who had gone to check the availability of an apartment. They denied claims by the developer's spokesman Irshad Sumra that Abdi was a mentally disturbed person who unknowingly wandered into the building. On Thursday, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir issued an executive order to establish a task force to investigate the circumstances under which the building sank. Nassir said he had not suspended Kinuthia because those under investigation were building inspectors involved in observing the progress of the project. He did not however list the names of the affected employees. He defended Kinuthia, saying the final approval of the building architectural designs is done by county engineers. Nassir said the investigation will determine who was culpable. At the scene of the ill-fated building, the notice board with details of the designer and architecture was removed on Wednesday night, pointing to a conspiracy to cover up the crime. Yesterday, Kinuthia admitted to being a partner of Disaini but added that he was not involved in the designing of the building brought down by the Kenya Defence Forces explosives on Wednesday. "I am driving to Nairobi for a training. Can we arrange a physical meeting later so that I can respond? Yes, the firm is mine, but I did not draw the plan for the building," he said. However, multiple interviews insisted that the Disaini Team was the designer of the ill-fated building. The county had approved a six-storey building before it was extended to 11 floors. Civil groups in Mombasa said the county government's department of land, physical planning and housing, National Construction Authority (NCA) and architectural designers were to blame. It also emerged that the owner of the building is associated with former Embakasi South MP Rishad Sumra, although he has been posing as a spokesman of the developers. Sumra claimed the developer lost Sh350 million in the an uninsured project. He said the collapsed building was "an act of God" and the developer should not be blamed. "We will not entertain the conspiracy to cover this crime. The governor should not go for junior staff of the county to protect his buddies," said Julius Ogogoh, the executive director of the Commission for Human Rights and Justice (CHRJ). David Jomeli, a member of the board of directors of Kenya Federation of Master Builders (KFMB) and Joint Building Construction Council, said a geotechnical survey was not done to ascertain soil bearing capacity and its characteristics. Engineer Jomeli said the house tilted because of the borehole that was dug at the site many years ago, adding that water logged the foundation of the building. "The geotechnical study could have determined the mix of the soil and if it could hold such a tall building. The enquiry will determine the depth of the foundation," Jomeli said. Meanwhile, the family of the man who was buried alive when the building started sinking away gave a clue of how he encountered death at the ill-fated structure. A member of Mr Abdi's family said he was checking for a space to rent when the building sank and swallowed him. "He came from the mosque and decided to assess the building in an attempt to rent a space to live in when it buried him," she said. The family member, who was with three other relatives camping at the site, said the incident happened three days before the KDF demolished the building through use of explosives. The family member who did not want to disclose her name said they have always been camping there, hoping the body could be retrieved for burial. Yesterday, the Mombasa County government mobilised three bulldozers on site, but they had not started removing the debris by noon. Nassir has since confirmed that Abdi died when the first floor of the building collapsed three days ago. He said CCTV footage showed that the building started collapsing a few minutes after Abdi went in and was hence trapped inside. "It is with deep sorrow that the county government of Mombasa announces the passing of Yusuf Ali Abdi, who was tragically confirmed as deceased following the collapse of the building's first floor three days ago," said Nassir. The governor promised thorough investigation and accountability in the collapse of the building. At the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital CGTRH, gates were still closed and patients were turned away by security guards after over 600 patients were relocated on Monday. The security guards only told patients and other people seeking help that operations may resume Friday. Daniel Munyua, from Likoni in Mombasa County, said he was turned away as he sought to collect the body of his cousin Grace Karimi for burial. "I have come for the body but the security guards told me that the hospital and the mortuary will resume operations today," he said. There has been no business in the area since Wednesday when the Coast region's main hospital closed down operations to pave the way for the demolition of the building.

Signs of cover-up as blame shifts over collapsed Mombasa building

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Signs of cover-up as blame shifts over collapsed Mombasa building

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS