Eastleigh collapse: prosecutors now want the paper trail

What we know so far

• Reports of the building's height vary (from 12 to 18 storeys). The cause has not been established yet.
• The ground floor was reportedly occupied by traders while the upper floors were still being built. Rescue teams, later including the Kenya Defence Forces, worked for days, and people were reported missing.
• The Directorate of Criminal Investigations will examine whether the developer, contractors, construction professionals or county officials contributed to the collapse through their actions or omissions.
• The prosecutor's office said no inquiry file on the building's construction had ever been forwarded to it by the county, and it warned developers, professionals and officials against ignoring approvals and safety standards.

Why this matters for QA/QC

Notice what the investigators are asking for: planning, approval, supervision and construction. After a failure, nobody asks how good the concrete looked. They ask for the records. Who approved the drawings? Who inspected the reinforcement? Where are the cube results? Who released each pour?

Two things stand out. First, a building under construction with an occupied ground floor mixes two worlds that should be kept apart: a construction site and the public. Second, when approvals are disputed, the site's own records (inspection requests, test results, signed hold points) become the strongest evidence of what really happened, for or against you.

I'll update this story as the investigation reports its findings. Follow on Instagram or YouTube to get the update.

Sources: The Star (Kenya) · Citizen Digital · Nation. Details are still developing; we report only what is confirmed.