Gachie building survivor recalls horror, rescue

As rescuers race against time to save his colleagues, he stares hopefully at the bulldozer clearing the rubble.

It’s 10.25pm on Monday night. Eight construction workers have already been saved. Unfortnately, one of the eight dies in hospital the next morning. 

But hopeful rescuers are still searching for more survivors.

One of the missing men is Njuguna's friend who he says helped him get the welding job at the site.

“He is not picking up…his phone was on and ringing because I called it and it was functioning after I gained consciousness when I was rescued,’’ the Nation overheard him say to another person as we waited to speak to him.

Mr Njuguna looks sad, worn out and hungry. Despite this, he musters the strength to discuss his ordeal. With him is a counsellor from Jungle Afya, a social welfare outfit owned by Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina wa Jungle.

Mr Njuguna, one of the first survivors to be evacuated from the debris, says he is lucky to be alive.

He had worked as a welder in the building for two weeks after being jobless for a long period.

“A friend introduced me to the foreman, who loved my work, and since then, I have been commuting from Githurai 45 to Gachie every morning to weld doors and windows,’’ he tells the Nation.

How it happened

He recalls how the incident happened.

“We had just come for lunch and a majority of workers had just settled in their respective departments. It was a busy day because most of the workers were on the fifth floor putting up the shrubs. What I recall last was the building trembling and coming down with a bang…and a huge dust cloud engulfing where I was,’’ he says.

Mr Njuguna was on the first floor near a staircase that leads to the second floor when the incident happened. The staircase, he recalls, did not cave in completely and it was next to the main entrance to the building.

With his mobile phone intact and struggling to communicate effectively because of the shock, he called a fellow worker who had also survived and who later led rescue teams to where Mr Njuguna was.

It was not easy to locate him, Mr Njuguna notes, as he had spent two hours in the debris before he was finally rescued by a joint team of the Kenya Red Cross Society, Kenya Army and firefighters from Kiambu County and other volunteers.

“When I was down under the debris, my mind was all about my family. I pleaded to God to give me another chance because I have a young family that relies on me to feed them. I am glad I survived,’’ he recalls.

After being rescued, Mr Njuguna was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared fit to go home.

“I chose not to go home but stand with my fellow workers who are still trapped inside. They are around five,’’ he says.

By noon on Tuesday, rescue efforts continued, with Kiambu chief fire officer Samuel Kahura maintaining that one death had been reported with no other survivors being found.

“Unfortunately, we have lost one survivor who was rescued from the debris on Monday. He had sustained serious injuries and he died while receiving treatment at Tigoni Hospital,’’ he told the Nation.

Kiambu police Commander Ali Nuno told the Nation that they were still pursuing the developer, identified as Michael Mbugua.

Kiambu Governor James Nyoro blamed the developer for disobeying the directives they had issued to him to stop the construction until he complies with all county and national government regulations.

Governor Nyoro said the ill-fated building was in a remote area, making it hard for inspectorate officers from the planning department to identify it as it was being built.

The governor also accused courts of issuing developers with court injunctions and orders even when county officials stop construction of houses that have not been issued with permits or do not have the required approvals from the planning department.

The Nation could not find the protest letter that the Kiambu County government claimed to have written to the developer. Director of Planning Charles Mwangi sent a text message saying he needed to consult further.