Mathew Ndung’u and Oliver Musembi

Residents of OJ area of Ruiru in Kiambu county were yesterday thrown into panic after a nine-storey residential building under construction collapsed.

While no one was injured in the 3am incident, residents in the neighbourhood were left shocked while others were forced to vacate their houses immediately.

About 15 vehicles in the neighboring garage were destroyed beyond repair by the rumble that also saw the owner of the building incur huge losses running into millions.

County Police Commander Ali Nuno said the incident had only one casualty who sustained slight injuries and property of unknown value destroyed.

Kiambu Lands and Physical Planning Executive Eunice Macharia said the owner of the building had already put up eight floors and had started building the ninth one.

Macharia urged locals in neighbouring buildings to keep off the area until their houses are confirmed safe for occupation.

Eyewitnesses said they were asleep when they heard a loud bang at around 3am.

“We were asleep at around 3am when we heard a loud bang and after keenly checking, we saw the building tumbling down,” Jane Waweru, a resident said.

Incident happened barely a month after two other buildings collapsed in Gachie and Kinoo in the same county.

Governor James Nyoro earlier formed a task force that included officers from the National Construction Authority, Surveyors of Kenya and Engineers Board of Kenya to conduct a fact-finding mission on situations of building in the county.

Ruiru DCIO Justus Ombati said they will join efforts with State agencies to establish causes of collapse of the building.