Revealed: Eastleigh Building Had No Construction Approval Before Collapse

The collapse of an 18-storey building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh has exposed troubling questions about construction approvals, regulatory oversight and enforcement, after authorities revealed that the structure lacked key permits.

According to investigations cited by Citizen Digital, the building had not received construction approval from the Nairobi County Government or an environmental licence from the National Environment Management Authority.

The revelations have intensified scrutiny of the project and the agencies responsible for monitoring construction in the city.

Nairobi County says architectural plans submitted in November 2024 were rejected.

Despite this, construction reportedly began in June 2025 and continued into 2026.

Governor Johnson Sakaja said a change-of-use application had been approved, but the subsequent application for the actual building was never granted.

Questions have also emerged over the National Construction Authority records.

Although the NCA says the project was registered on July 30, 2025, its details were reportedly not visible on the authority’s online portal until after the collapse.

The project lists 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer, Stromax Holdings E.A.

Limited as the contractor, Emmanuel Mwangi Maina as the architect and Mugu Joseph Muturi as the engineer.

NEMA further said the developer had been asked in January 2026 to submit clearer architectural drawings but failed to do so.

As a result, the project remained non-compliant and did not receive an Environmental Impact Assessment licence.

The tragedy has now placed developers, professionals and regulators under intense scrutiny.

Beyond determining who is responsible for the collapse, the incident has renewed calls for stronger enforcement of building regulations.

As rescue teams continue searching the rubble, the Eastleigh disaster stands as a stark warning: when construction rules are treated as paperwork rather than safeguards, the consequences can be measured in human lives.

https://citizen.digital/article/collapsed-eastleigh-building-had-no-construction-approval-nema-licence-n392670?fbclid=IwY2xjawVJ7d1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHgu9Koph5cConuWC5BtgoZ_146xeVjsQpYmYqWOUWKBjvxkZd-ZUN7xv5lOD_aem_pjoiJn2CHVpUUJfR-apzKw

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