- Stephen Onkeo, a young man working to raise college fees, died after a five-storey building under construction collapsed in Ogembo town, Kisii County.
- Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui has confirmed that preliminary investigations point to shoddy workmanship, with the building owners and contractor directed to record statements.
- Governor Simba Arati has pledged to construct a house for Onkeo’s grandparents, as the incident renews scrutiny of Kenya’s construction licensing and safety regulations.
By Enock Okong’o
Kisii County Governor Simba Arati has mourned Stephen Onkeo, a young man killed when a five-storey building under construction collapsed in Ogembo town, describing him as self-driven and determined to raise money for college.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor at the deceased’s home in Nyansara Village, Bomachoge Chache Constituency, Deputy Governor Elijah Obebo said Arati would construct a house for the family of Onkeo’s grandparents, noting that the young man was a total orphan. Onkeo had been overseeing construction progress at the site near Elsa Primary School in Ogembo town when the building collapsed, causing panic across the town.
A rescue team from Kisii town, led by Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui, worked overnight to rescue those trapped inside the building and later retrieved Onkeo’s body. The body was preserved at Ogembo Hospital Mortuary pending postmortem examination and burial preparations.
Kirui said police had launched investigations to establish the cause of the collapse, with preliminary findings pointing to shoddy workmanship. He directed the owners of the building and the contractor to record statements at Ogembo Police Station to assist with the investigation.
ALSO READ:
Court bars HELB from recovering more than double the loan amount from borrowers
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the laws governing building construction in Kenya. Under the National Construction Authority Act of 2011, no building can be constructed by a contractor who is not registered and licensed by the National Construction Authority, and every project valued above five million shillings must be registered with the Authority. The National Building Code 2024, which became operational in March 2025, requires that all buildings be designed by qualified professionals, including a registered architect and structural engineer; that only Kenya Bureau of Standards-certified materials be used; and that the Authority conducts mandatory inspections at different stages of construction, including safety measures for workers and the public.
ALSO READ: How CBE can turn Kenyan learners into wealth creators, not job seekers
Additionally, the Physical and Land Use Planning Act of 2019 requires developers to obtain development permission from the county government before construction begins, along with approved architectural and structural plans, and, where required, an Environmental Impact Assessment licence from NEMA. County governments are mandated to approve plans and issue construction permits, and any construction carried out without a permit is illegal, attracting a stop order, demolition order or prosecution. Failure to comply is a criminal offence under the NCA Act and can lead to fines, imprisonment, blacklisting of the contractor and compensation to victims.
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
