Sakaja Reacts to a Report Going Round on the Indicating he Initiated the Building of Easleigh House

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has broken his silence amid mounting pressure over the approval documents for the multi-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, triggering renewed debate about accountability and the enforcement of construction regulations.

The controversy intensified on Sunday, October 25, after Embakasi East MP Babu Owino released a document he claimed showed that the county had approved the proposed development in February 2024.

Babu challenged Sakaja’s earlier explanation that the county had not approved the architectural plans for the building. He demanded answers from the governor over the circumstances surrounding the project and alleged that a KSh120 million bribe had been paid. However, the bribery allegation has not been independently established.

In response, Sakaja maintained that the county’s approval of a change of use for the property should not be confused with authorisation to construct the multi-storey building.

According to the governor, the change-of-use application was approved in October 2024, but the subsequent architectural plans for the proposed 15-storey structure with a basement were not approved.

Sakaja has insisted that investigations should establish how construction continued despite the outstanding approvals and whether the developers and professionals involved complied with the law.

The governor has also questioned the enforcement of construction regulations, arguing that inadequate penalties make it difficult for county authorities to deter developers from violating planning laws.

He has called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and relevant professional bodies to investigate the incident and determine whether any officials or professionals bear responsibility.

Meanwhile, the building’s collapse has intensified scrutiny of Nairobi’s development approval procedures, particularly how construction can proceed when questions remain over compliance with safety requirements.

The conflicting accounts have placed Sakaja under increasing public scrutiny, with Kenyans demanding transparency over the documents and decisions associated with the project.

Investigators will need to establish whether the documents cited by both sides authorised the construction that collapsed and determine who should be held accountable.

https://x.com/SakajaJohnson/status/2114380528119960048

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