Structural engineer Joseph Muturi Mugu has publicly distanced himself from a building that collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, disputing the National Construction Authority’s (NCA) identification of him as the project’s structural engineer.
In a public notice, Mugu said he was responding to an NCA press statement dated October 23, 2026, which identified him in connection with the collapsed building on L.R. No. 36/II/40, 9th Street, Eastleigh.
He maintained that his involvement was limited to preparing structural designs for a proposed 15-storey building and submitting them to the developer. According to his lawyers, he did not receive approval for the designs or undertake further professional services on the project.
Mugu said he had, through his advocates, requested project records from the NCA and Nairobi City County Government to establish the information used to identify him. His lawyers have sought registration documents, structural drawings, approval records and electronic logs to determine who may have used his professional credentials.
The engineer has also questioned whether the NCA verified his involvement before naming him. He has given the authority 48 hours to provide the requested records and issue a clarification.
He has called for thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding the construction and collapse, pledging to cooperate with the authorities.
The dispute highlights a potential accountability challenge in Kenya’s construction sector, where professionals may be engaged during a project’s initial stages to prepare designs or facilitate regulatory approvals, while subsequent construction work may be undertaken by other parties. Establishing who designed, approved, supervised and executed a development is therefore essential to determining responsibility when structural failures occur.
The cause of the Eastleigh collapse and the respective responsibilities of those involved remain subject to investigation.
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