The owner of the six-storey building that collapsed in Ruaka on Thursday last week killing a couple has been arrested.
The deceased were the owner of an adjacent residential home that was fell on by the building during the dawn incident.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations, DCI says Jennifer Kamau, 59, was arrested at 2am at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while trying to flee the country.
“Hawk-eyed sleuths based at the region’s main international gateway, pounced on her minutes before she boarded a flight destined for Texas, in the United of America. However, following the arrest, the woman was taken ill and rushed to a city hospital by our officers, where she is receiving treatment before being arraigned in court,” says the DCI in a statement.
Several people were rescued during the incident that happened near Fortune Club.
Kiambu County Governor Kimani Wamatangi has as a result announced heightened surveillance on all buildings under construction in the county.
Jennifer Kamau is set to face murder charges. According the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), she will “answer to the offences of Criminal negligence and murder contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the penal code.”
Four Kiambu County government officials will also be arraigned at Kiambu Law courts on Tuesday and are expected to face similar charges.
Meanwhile, the owner of another building that collapsed Monday morning in Ruiru will also be arraigned in court.
Stephen Ngaruiya will appear at the Ruiru Law Courts on Tuesday for the offence of constructing a building without requisite approvals.
The building, which developed cracks and was said to be sinking, collapsed Monday morning, hours after Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi led an evacuation exercise on Sunday afternoon.
The Kiambu County Boss has announced the immediate suspension of the board in charge of Land, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development in the county vowing to crack the whip on all rogue developers. —
Source: Nam News Network