NAIROBI, Kenya — Discrepancies surrounding the construction approvals for a building that collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood have raised fresh suspicions that forged documents may have been used during the regulatory clearance process.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, October 24, 2026, Government Spokesperson Charles Owino questioned how the National Construction Authority (NCA) could have granted approvals for the development when essential county clearances were still pending.
According to Owino, the developers had submitted plans requiring specific amendments—including proposals regarding basement shops—which meant the formal approval process was never completed.
“The government is very clear that the developers made a submission, but in that submission they made, approvals were not yet done,” Owino stated. “And if there was no approval from the council, then it means that even there would have been no approval from NCA.”
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Owino’s remarks highlight potential irregularities in how the documentation was handled across agencies. However, official statements have not yet identified specific fake records or definitively confirmed that forgery occurred.
Key documentation from the county government and the NCA, along with records concerning a reported Sh2 million payment linked to the approval process, remain under active review.
To prevent similar regulatory gaps, Owino advocated for a unified digital approval system connecting key agencies.
“If we have a dashboard between city government, NCA, NEMA, then anybody making an approval should be able to make that approval directly from the dashboard,” he proposed, emphasizing that a shared platform would allow real-time verification across departments.
While investigations into the building’s ownership and approval history continue, authorities stress that rescue operations remain the central focus. Owino reaffirmed that the government’s immediate priority continues to be searching the site and saving lives.
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