A couple died after a building under construction in Ruaka, Kiambu county collapsed on their house early Thursday morning.
The five-storey building at Old Ruaka Road came down at 3.30am as the man and woman were asleep at their iron sheet house adjacent to the construction site.
The incident happened barely two months after five people lost their lives in Kirigiti near Kiambu town after a seven-storey building under construction collapsed.
The building also fell on nearby houses killing five, among them a woman and two children. Six others were seriously injured during the incident.
In Ruaka, relatives of the deceased struggled to come terms with the loss of their loved ones.
Antony Karomo, who lost his elder brother, held back tears as he narrated how he rushed to the scene only to find his relative dead.
Their three children were unhurt as they live in another house in the compound.
“I live in the next building and when I heard the bang, I rushed outside. With the help of others who had come, we pulled out the rubbles but unfortunately my brother and his wife had died,” he said.
Watchmen who were guarding the site escaped unhurt.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi visited the scene to condole with the family.
He regretted that cases of buildings collapsing in the country had become common.
“We have agreed to sit down and find immediate ways of addressing this menace. We cannot continue to lose innocent lives like this,” Wamatangi said.
The governor said initial investigations have shown the contractor did not comply with construction regulations.
“People must face the law if they commit offences. If contractors do not want loses, they must adhere to the rules. We will demolish all buildings that have not been properly built,” he said.
“We will not wait for buildings to collapse. We will pull them down.”
Samuel Kahura, head of Kiambu Fire Brigade and Rescue Service, said rescue operation is ongoing.
”We believe more people could be under the rubble and we have teamed up with other agencies including Kenya Red Cross, military and police officers to rescue those trapped,’’ Mr Kahura said.
This is second building to come down in the country this week.
On Tuesday, a building under construction collapsed in Kasarani, Nairobi killing at least three people.
