A private physical planner has told a Nairobi County Assembly committee how City Hall approved a change to the original plan of an 18-storey building in Eastleigh that later collapsed, killing eight people.
The building along Eastleigh 9th Street came down on October 23 while still under construction. Some lower floors had already been occupied, against safety rules.
The collapse left families searching for missing relatives and raised fresh questions about how such projects get approved and monitored in the city.Planner Nathan Mutunga appeared before the committee on urban planning on Tuesday.
He said he was hired in 2024 to handle an application for a change of user on the property. The original approval allowed only a single dwelling.
The new request sought permission for commercial use and multi-dwelling apartments.
Mutunga told the committee, chaired by former Nairobi Mayor Godfrey Majiwa, that a broker named Japeth Malusi approached him with the job. He said he never met the developer in person.
Documents reached him through Malusi and a City Hall planning officer, Joseph Mutua. Mutunga received KSh121,000 for the work.
Once the change of user was approved, his role ended.“I didn’t follow up because that was outside my mandate. Once I’m done with the approvals, it is now the work of the developer, contractor, engineer and architect to work on that,” he said.
County records show the change of user was granted in October 2024. An application for the actual building plans, submitted later by an architect, was never approved. Construction went ahead anyway.
Governor Johnson Sakaja has previously stated that approval of the change of use did not equal permission to put up the multi-storey structure.
The National Construction Authority has listed the developer as 9th Street Plaza Limited and the contractor as Stromax Holdings E.A Limited.
An architect and a structural engineer also appear in project records. Professional bodies have been asked to examine the roles of those involved.
The incident has put pressure on City Hall’s planning and enforcement systems. Officials have pointed to gaps between approved land use and actual construction.
Rescue teams worked through the rubble for days after the collapse. The death toll stood at eight, with more bodies recovered over time.Mutunga’s account has added detail to the ongoing inquiry. Committee members questioned how the change of user was processed and whether county staff played a direct part.
The planner maintained that his responsibility stopped at securing the approval.
Investigations continue into the circumstances of the collapse, the approvals process, and the supervision of the site.
The case has highlighted long-standing concerns about illegal buildings and weak enforcement in Nairobi’s rapidly growing neighbourhoods.
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