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He ran to salvage welding tools from collapsing building and paid with his life

 

As everyone ran away from the collapsing building in Tassia, Embakasi, Justus Mutisya, an accomplished welder, rushed back to salvage his tools.

Unfortunately, he was trapped inside the store on the ground floor. It was too late when rescuers reached him.

A post-mortem conducted at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital showed that he was crushed to death by a concrete beam.

Lacked oxygen

He also lacked oxygen in the dusty room filled with cement and other construction materials reduced to waste following the collapse of the multi-storey flat.

His brother, John Mwendwa, told the Nation that the news of Mr Mutisya’s death hit like a thunderbolt since his expertise in the field of construction, especially in the welding sector, was unrivalled.

“He began welding in 2007 and has never been involved in any incident. It is very sad that this one incident has snatched him away from us,” he said.

Mr Mutisya, 38, has left behind a young family consisting of his wife, Jennifer Mawea, a teacher at a private primary school in Kiambu County, and two children aged 10 and 6. They all lived in Banana, Kiambu.

“Justus was a kind man, usually silent and humble. He was peace loving and always looked out for the interest of his friends and family. I am sure he wanted to retrieve his tools because that is what he used to feed his family,” he said.

Residents said the building, which is next to Tassia Police Post, was being constructed hurriedly. Interestingly, they said that is not unique since many buildings in the area are being completed at amazing speeds. But they wondered why the government agencies involved in the sector appeared lax to carry out inspections.

Embakasi sub county police commmander, Mr Masai Mutua, said only one person died and added that the matter was being investigated. A club, a shop dealing in household items, a beauty parlour and an eatery were being operated on the ground floor yet it was still under construction.

“The landlord needed a certificate of completion first before allowing any business operations or even tenants to occupy the building. We are looking for the business owners to record their statements,” he said.

The county fire department alongside experts from the construction and planning section are overseeing the demolition of the structure.

“It is only after the completion of the demolition that the experts in the construction sector will collect samples and use them to establish the probable cause of this disaster,” Mr Mutua said.

Though the official report is yet to be prepared, one line of enquiry is the quality of the construction materials.

“For instance, the iron bars used here were D12 yet the minimum that is supposed to be used for such a building is D16. We also suspect that the combination of construction materials was not right, but we shall wait for the full technical report then move from there,” a senior administrative officer at the scene said.

Following the incident, the administrative officer said there were plans to begin inspection of several buildings under construction by a multi-agency team from the county government to ensure safety of tenants.

Only after the conclusion of the report will the police make any arrests should anyone, including the landlord and contractor, be found culpable.

Mutisya’s family is continuing with the burial plans of their loved one which is set to be held next Saturday at their home in Mwingi, Kitui County.    BY DAILY NATION   

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