Four ex-Nairobi officials deny South C building collapse charges

Four former Nairobi County officials have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and forgery charges arising from the collapse of a building in South C on January 2, which claimed two lives. The four, Abdishakur Mohammed, Yussuf Mohammed Yussuf, Daniel Alphonse Odhiambo and Gideon Chege, denied the charges when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Caroline Nyaguthii at the Milimani Law Courts. They are also accused of commencing a construction project without a valid Environmental Impact Assessment licence, contrary to the Environmental Management and Coordination Act. According to the prosecution, Abdishakur Mohammed and Yussuf Mohammed Yussuf knowingly uploaded a forged building approval document onto the National Construction Authority registration system, falsely presenting it as an authentic document issued by Nairobi City County. The court released all four accused persons on a cash bail of KSh 2 million each as the case proceeds.