The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has called for a nationwide inspections of high-risk construction projects after nine lives were lost in two days following collapse of two different Nairobi buildings.
In a statement on Saturday November 14, IEK claimed that the recent wave of building collapsing was as a result of systematic failures that the government should not ignore anymore.
According to the institution, the only way to prevent further loss of lives is when nationwide inspection is done to identify high risk buildings that are a threat to human life.
"As a nation, we cannot continue counting casualties, issuing condolences and making promises while systemic weaknesses in the construction sector remain unaddressed – from engineering design and construction practice to professional supervision, inspection and regulatory enforcement. Concerns about public safety, together with the economic and social cost of these failures, have reached alarming levels," IEK stated.
Further, IEK called for separate, independent investigations into the two incidents, noting that different structural failures may have contributed to the tragedies.
"The two latest incidents involved different construction activities and must be investigated separately," it added.
On Friday November 13, a eight storey building collapsed in Syokimau, killing six on the spot with several injuries.
