Construction works, two county employees in Mombasa suspended over ill-fated building

Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir has suspended 20 ongoing construction works across the county as investigations into the cause of the collapsing of the ill-fated building continue.

The suspended works had the same engineers, architects and county officials who were involved in the construction of the nine-storey building. 

One person died as the building, which had to be controllably demolished by the Kenya Defence Forces bomb experts over structural faults, crumbled. 

Two county officials from the lands, housing and urban planning department have also been suspended.

“One has already been sent on compulsory leave and another one is going on suspension pending the finalisation of the report,” Nassir said.

Speaking at the scene on Thursday, Nassir asked for continued patience from the family of the deceased and residents as the administration works to get to the bottom of the matter.

The family of Yusuf Abdi, the man who was seen in CCTV footage entering the building minutes before it came down, were concerned that retrieving his body had stopped for about four hours.

They want to bury him as quickly as possible, as the more the body stays under the rubble, the more it degenerates.

In response, Nassir said works were paused in order to focus on collecting samples used in the building, to enable them to establish the cause of the building’s collapse.

“In the process of that, samples of metals used from different columns had to be taken and to ascertain what quality of work was done,” the governor said.

“We cannot allow our emotions to get in the way and then someone is not held accountable. People should be held to account. There are no two ways about it.” 

The two county employees, if found culpable, will be charged. 

“I will ensure that their practising licenses are revoked. And if need be they will be charged for criminal liability,” he said.

“I will send the final report to the Council of Governors and implore all governors not to give them any work.” 

Directors of companies found liable will also face the consequences.

The governor also inspected the cleaning works at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, whose patients had to be relocated ahead of the demolition. 

The county is handling the clearing of the debris.

The CGTRH is preparing to receive back 124 patients, including eight in the ICU, after the cleanup,  which is expected to be completed by Saturday evening. 

The patients will be taken back in phases. 

“The cleanliness has been done. The fumigation is complete. Tomorrow, we are starting with the Intensive Care Unit patients and the High Dependency Unit patients,” Nassir said.

These will be followed by the new born units and eventually the emergency and accidents unit patients.

“We cannot open the whole hospital at the same time,” he said,

The governor appreciated private hospitals that agreed to take in some of the patients from the CGTRH at no charge.

“This is the spirit of working together.”