Part of the foundation of a building that collapsed on Kirinyaga Road in Nairobi yesterday /EZEKIEL AMING’A

Yet another multi-storey block under construction in the city has collapsed, sending the grim message that we are sitting on a time bomb that could destroy lives and property of unimaginable value.

On January 2, a block of flats in South C crumbled to the ground and killed two people.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, strident condemnation and blame games followed.

A report by the National Construction Authority confirms the rather obvious, that about 80 per cent of buildings in the city are unfit for occupation and that the slightest earth tremor could cause a catastrophe in Nairobi.

But even with such bleak warnings, the county government does not seem too bothered to work on building safety. It is back to business as usual, which means contractors will apply substandard materials and cut corners in the hope of saving money.

The greed and negligence of only a handful cause death and misery for many silent families.

Fifty-one people were killed in 2016 when a building collapsed in Nairobi. That was supposed to be a wake-up call that should have led to the relentless pulling down of dangerous buildings.

This must be the time to stop all buildings under construction and subject them to stress tests to confirm their safety.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” — US President Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809