Sifuna Explains Why He Avoided Eastleigh Building Collapse Site

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has explained his decision to neither visit the Eastleigh building collapse site nor issue a public statement, citing fears of disrupting ongoing rescue operations and criticizing systemic corruption in the construction sector.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, November 5, Sifuna clarified that his absence from the scene aligned with guidance from emergency response teams regarding crowd control. He noted that the National Police Service had already been forced to use tear gas to disperse gathering onlookers for their own safety and to clear the way for rescue teams.

“I have always followed instructions from the Kenya Red Cross, and they advised us not to go to the sites because sometimes we actually impede rescue efforts. In Eastleigh, the police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd,” Sifuna stated.

The Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) leader added that issuing a standard public statement would do little to address the root causes of recurring structural failures in the capital. He argued that building collapses stem directly from widespread corruption and influential developers using political connections to bypass established building regulations.

“As the Nairobi Senator, I have gotten to a point where it is very difficult for me to stand up every time something like this happens to issue a standard statement condoling the families; we must confront the monster, which is impunity,” he stated.

Sifuna Recalls Senate Summons to Sakaja

Addressing administrative oversights, Sifuna revealed that the Senate had previously summoned Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to explain why the county’s physical planning appeals board had ceased operations. The board, designed to give residents a formal mechanism to challenge illegal construction projects in their neighborhoods, had reportedly stalled due to unpaid member allowances.

“We have a law that there is an appeals board that residents can go to if they have a challenge or problem with a construction in their neighborhood. At some point, that board was non-functional just because they were not being paid their allowances. We summoned the governor here, and we thought those issues were resolved,” Sifuna noted.

Demanding full accountability, the lawmaker urged relevant authorities to audit powerful, well-connected property owners who operate outside the scope of enforcement.

His remarks came as emergency responders recovered three additional bodies from the rubble earlier in the day, raising the total confirmed death toll from the Eastleigh tragedy to five.

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