A Nairobi court has sentenced the owner of a building that collapsed in Huruma nearly a decade ago, claiming 52 lives, to seven years in prison without the option of a fine.
Delivering the judgment at the Milimani Law Courts, Senior Principal Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe ruled that Samuel Kamau Karanja bore criminal responsibility for the tragedy, pointing to negligence and a blatant disregard for safety regulations.
Karanja, who appeared in court virtually, faced conviction on 31 counts of manslaughter. The court handed down a seven-year term for the manslaughter charges, alongside five years for developing the property without approval and three years for the unlawful occupation of public land. Because the sentences will run concurrently, Karanja will serve a total of seven years behind death.
Magistrate Shikwe noted that while the defense offered mitigating factors, these details could only soften the length of the sentence rather than prevent a prison term entirely.
“The mitigation provided can only help to lessen the custodial sentence but not to avoid it,” the magistrate stated, concluding that the gravity of the case necessitated time behind bars.
The court established that Karanja illegally constructed the building on a riparian reserve directly on the riverbank, violating regulations that mandate a minimum six-meter setback. The structure also lacked critical approvals from key authorities, including the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA).
Magistrate Shikwe further noted that the owner ignored early warning signs of structural failure. Evidence presented during the trial showed that when cracks appeared in the building in 2016, the caretaker simply patched them with cement rather than seeking professional help or taking corrective action.
“The deaths of the 52 victims were a direct result of actions marked by illegality, recklessness, and negligence,” the court held.
Throughout the proceedings, Karanja denied owning the building and attempted to distance himself from the property. He insisted that he did not know the tenants and held no claim to the structure, claiming instead that he only owned land in a different area and had no connection to the fatal collapse.
The court relied on a web of circumstantial evidence from several witnesses to confirm Karanja’s ownership. A surveyor testified that the structure occupied a riparian reserve, while a local assistant chief described a past confrontation where Karanja challenged his attempts to halt construction.
Additional testimony from a tenant revealed that Karanja frequently visited the building and held regular meetings with the caretaker. Furthermore, a Kenya Power officer informed the court that the building’s electricity connection originated from an application submitted in Karanja’s name.
Magistrate Shikwe concluded that these combined testimonies pointed conclusively to Karanja as the owner. By establishing this link, the court finally held him accountable for one of the deadliest building collapses in Nairobi’s history.
The ruling closes a long legal battle over the Huruma disaster, bringing a measure of accountability nearly a decade after the tragedy that claimed dozens of lives.
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