16 Nairobi County Officials Suspended Following the Precious Talent School Tragedy

The Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko Mbuvi has suspended 16 of the county officials following the recent tragedy that hit Precious Talent Academy killing eight pupils and injuring dozens.

Governor Sonko, through a statement sent to the media on Wednesday, 25^th September 2019, suspended the officials to enable smooth investigations so as to unearth what could have led to the tragedy.

“I am convinced beyond doubt that drastic measures have to be taken to reverse the effects of years of flouting Physical Planning Regulations and restore order and sanity before illegal structures claim more lives as has repeatedly happened before,” the statement read.

List of the suspended County officials Following the Precious Talent School Tragedy

1. Charles Kerich –current County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance and Economic Planning and ex-CECM for Lands and Urban Planning
2. Mohammed Dagane– CECM Health, in-charge of general public health and safety
3. Justus Kathenge – suspended County Chief Officer for Urban Planning (was already in suspension
4. Jusper Ndeke – Director Planning Compliance and Enforcement
5. Dominic Mutegi – Development Management Director
6. Ondari Fredrick – Assistant Director of Enforcement
7. Ruth Waruguru – Director of Urban Planning
8. Thomas Dudi – Assistant Director of Planning
9. Simon Onyango – Development Officer (regularization of buildings/approval of architectural plans)
10. Alex Mucheru –Development Control (overseeing approvals of buildings and schools on behalf of public health and safety)
11. Mackline Saitera – Development Control (approval of building plans and school inspection)
12. 12.Edna Guantai – In-charge of approval of public buildings and schools on behalf of public health

13. Joyce Kyengo – Dagoretti South Sub-County Administrator
14. Lucy Wairimu Munyika – Dagoretti South Sub-County Commander.
15. Sylivia Mwikali Nthinga – Dagoretti South Sub-County Planning Officer
16. Okal Kennedy – Ngando Ward Administrator

Mike Sonko, who was scheduled to travel to the United States, was forced to cancel his flight in the wake of the Monday morning tragedy that left the Country shocked at the height of greed witnessed in the construction of the Precious Talent academy.

Sonko appointed Pauline Kahiga as the acting CEC for Finance and Economic Planning and Veska Kangogo as the acting CEC for Health whom he said would ensure services were not interrupted.

“Through the audit, I established that on more than one occasion, the rogue officers would switch off the digital system at City Hall to bypass the official channel in issuing building approvals,” Sonko had earlier noted which seems to be informing his decision to suspend the officials.

Sonko warned contractors that all buildings that are ongoing or finished would be demolished at the owners cost if the right process is not followed.

Read Also: Several Pupils Dead as Wall Collapses at Precious Talent School, Nairobi