Blame game over collapsed Mombasa building

Debris after bombing of the condemned 9- Storey building at Bondeni in Mombasa County on Wednesday 9th April 2025. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

A partner of the firm that designed the 11-storey building brought down by soldiers in Mombasa is the county architect who stamps all building plans before they are approved by the county.

In a clear case of conflict of interest, the county architect, John Kinuthia, is a partner at Disaini Team Firm, an architectural firm that designs most of the building plans in Mombasa.

The 11-storey building off Abdel Nasser Road at Kilifi area, Bondeni, tilted and its two floors sank last week, burying one man alive.

The family of the man identified as Yusuf Ali Abdi said he was a prospective buyer who had gone to check the availability of an apartment.

They denied claims by the developer's spokesman Mr Irshad Sumra who said Abdi was a mentally disturbed person who unknowingly wandered into the building.

Yesterday, Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir issued an executive order to establish a task force to investigate the circumstances under which the building sank.

Nassir said he had not suspended Kinuthia because those under investigation were building inspectors involved in observing the progress of the project. He did not however list the names of the affected employees.

He defended Kinuthia, saying the final approval of the building architectural designs is done by county engineers. Nassir said the investigation will determine who was culpable.

At the scene of the ill-fated building, the notice board with details of the designer and architecture was removed on Wednesday night, pointing to a conspiracy to cover up the crime.

Yesterday, Kinuthia admitted to being a partner of Disaini but added that he was not involved in the designing of the building brought down by the Kenya Defence Force explosives on Wednesday.

“I’m driving to Nairobi for a training; can we arrange a physical meeting late so that I can respond? Yes, the firm is mine, but I did not draw the plan for the building,” he said.

However, multiple interviews insisted that the Disaini Team was the designer of the ill-fated building. The county had approved a 6-storey building before it was extended to 11 floors.

Civil groups in Mombasa said the county government's department of land, physical planning and housing, National Construction Authority (NCA) and architectural designers were to blame.

It also emerged that the owner of the building is associated with former Embakasi South MP Rishad Sumra, although he has been posing as a spokesman of the developers.

Sumra claimed the developer lost Sh350 million in an uninsured project. He said the collapsed building was "an act of God" and the developer should not be blamed.

"We will not entertain the conspiracy to cover this crime. The governor should not go for juniors staff of the county to protect his buddies," said Mr Julius Ogogoh, executive director of Commission for Human Rights and Justice CHRJ.

Engineer David Jomeli, a member of the board of directors and joint building construction council, said a geotechnical survey was not done to ascertain soil bearing capacity and its characteristics.

He said the house tilted because of the borehole that was dug at the site many years ago, adding that waterlogged the foundation of the building, which made it tilt.

“The geotechnical study could have determined the mix of the soil and if it could hold such a tall building. The enquiry will determine the depth of the foundation,” he said.

9 Storey building before it was bombed by Kenya Defence forces at Kibokoni in Mombasa. April 9,2025. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Meanwhile, the family of a man who was buried alive when building started sinking away gave a clue of how he encountered death at the ill-fated structure.

A member of Mr Yusuf Ali Abdi’s family said he was checking for a space to rent when the building sank and swallowed him.

“He came from the mosque and decided to assess the building in an attempt to rent a space to live in when it buried him,” she said.

The family member who was with three other relatives camping at the site said the incident happened three days before the KDF demolished the building by using explosives.

The family member who did not want to disclose her name said they have always been camping there, hoping the body could be retrieved for burial.

Yesterday, the Mombasa county government mobilised three bulldozers on site, but they had noted they had started removing the debris by noon.

Nassir has since confirmed that Mr Abdi died when the first floor of the building collapsed three days ago.

He said CCTV footage showed that the building started collapsing a few minutes after Mr Abdi went in and was hence trapped inside.

“It is with deep sorrow that the county government of Mombasa announces the passing of Yusuf Ali Abdi, who was tragically confirmed as deceased following the collapse of the building's first floor three years ago,” said Nassir.

Nassir assured of thorough investigation and accountability in the collapse of the building that claimed Abdi’s life.

At the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital CGTRH, gates were still closed and patients were turned away by security guards after over 600 patients were relocated on Monday.

The security guards only told patients and other people seeking help that operations may resume today.

Mr Daniel Munyua from Likoni in Mombasa County said he was turned away as he sought to collect the body of his cousin Ms Grace Karimi for burial.

“I have come for the body, but the security guards told me that the hospital and the mortuary will resume operations today,” he said.

A tuk-tuk operator, Michael Ngala, said there has been no business since Wednesday when the Coast region’s main hospital closed down operations to pave the way for the demolition of the building.

Several business people, including butchery operators, reported huge losses following the closure of businesses in the area. Workmen were busy repairing buildings adjacent to the site that were damaged during the demolition.