The developers of the 11-storey building that was brought down by the military in Mombasa say the building collapsing was an act of God and not an error from their side.
Speaking on behalf of the developers, former Embakasi South Member of Parliament and developer Irshad Sumra said they followed all protocols during construction.
Sumra who spoke after the controlled demolition of the building claimed they strictly adhered to all legal and regulatory requirements, including obtaining full approvals from the Mombasa County, National Environment Management Authority, and National Construction Authority at every stage.
“The project was carried out in accordance with required documentation, permits, and compliance protocols. The construction process was under continuous supervision, the Mombasa County Department of Planning and Housing conducted regular inspection of the site and reviewed the structural, architectural, and engineering works to ensure everything was aligned with approved works and construction codes,” said Sumra.
The former legislator said that despite their best efforts, rigorous planning, and substantial investment in in quality the over sh.300 million structure, the building experienced an unfortunate and unforeseen event.
“This was not due to structural inadequacies, but rather an unexpected geotechnical shift in the act of God beyond human control. If it was within our control, we would have prevented it. But we are grateful to God that there were no deaths,” said Sumra.
“Once we are done with this we will sit down with the county government and sort out everything possible, if there’s any neighbour we need to talk to, let us talk as humans. The developers are also victims, we did not want this to happen,” added the private developer.
The developers had first applied for a six floor construction before getting an extension.
“We got an approval for four more floor and the certificate is there, so there should be no speculations,” said Sumra.
Meanwhile the county government of Mombasa has established a multi-agency taskforce to probe into the construction and supervision of the 11-storey building. Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir also suspended all building extension applications.
