Sakaja challenges Kamukunji police over Eastleigh suspect bail

The Governor says county enforcement action was undermined the moment suspects walked free without facing a court

By Grace Wanja

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja yesterday demanded an explanation from Kamukunji Police Station after ten suspects arrested over the collapsed Eastleigh building were reportedly released on a cash bail of KSh50,000 without being presented in court, exposing a critical gap between county enforcement and criminal prosecution.

Sakaja said the County had approved a change of use for the property but had not authorised the architectural plans required for construction. County officers arrested those involved and transferred them to Kamukunji Police Station, as county governments no longer hold prosecutorial powers.

“We enforced the law and arrested those involved. They were reportedly released on a cash bail of KSh50,000 without being taken to court,” Sakaja said. “We want the police to explain why the suspects were released without being presented in court and why construction was allowed to continue.”

Police records show 14 suspects were booked into custody on 17th June 2026. A separate record indicates ten were subsequently released on the instructions of the Officer Commanding Station. The discrepancy raises unresolved questions about the status of the remaining four suspects.

Sakaja was equally firm on the approvals question. “If the building had been approved for construction, I would have named the officers who approved it so that action could be taken against them,” he said, pushing back against documents circulating online that he described as deliberately misleading.

He has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions arguing for the restoration of county prosecutorial powers. Until that gap is closed, enforcement will keep stopping at the station door.

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