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DPP charges embattled Patrick Analo, 80 others over deadly South C building collapse
Nairobi County Chief Officer for Urban Planning Patrick Analo (left) is escorted by investigators from his Syokimau residence following his arrest by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives.
Former Nairobi County planning chief Patrick Analo Akivaga is among more than 80 public officials, developers and construction professionals approved for prosecution over the collapse of Manzil Towers in South C, Nairobi that killed two people and exposed glaring failures in the city's building approval system.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga on Friday approved a raft of charges, including manslaughter, abuse of office, neglect of official duty and document-related offences, following investigations into the January 2, 2026 collapse of the 16-storey building that was under construction.
Mr Analo, who was arrested on Thursday by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over alleged irregular building approvals at City Hall, will face charges of abuse of office and neglect of official duty.
In a statement, the DPP said that an independent review of investigations conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) found sufficient evidence and a realistic prospect of conviction against the suspects.
"Following an independent and thorough analysis of the evidence contained in the inquiry file, the DPP has determined that there is sufficient evidence and a realistic prospect of conviction to warrant the prosecution of several suspects connected to the incident," the ODPP said.
The prosecution office said that the charges against Mr Analo arise from findings relating to the approval, oversight and regulatory processes associated with the construction project before its collapse.
The DPP also approved charges against dozens of other public officials, developers and professionals linked to the project.
Among the offences approved are manslaughter, abuse of office, neglect of official duty, making and uttering false documents and commencing a project without an Environmental Impact Assessment licence.
According to the DPP, the decision to charge was made in compliance with Article 157 of the Constitution, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act and the Decision to Charge Guidelines, based on evidence gathered by investigators.
The accused persons are expected to be arraigned in court to answer to the charges.
The prosecution follows months of revelations about the project.
Investigations showed that the South C building had been flagged at least three times by Nairobi County enforcement officers – in May, July and December 2025 – after developers allegedly exceeded approved plans and ignored stop orders issued by county authorities.
Despite the notices and arrests of site officials, construction continued until the building collapsed.
Questions have also persisted over how the development grew beyond its original approvals.
The project had initially been approved for 12 floors but had risen to about 16 storeys when it came down, raising concerns about alterations made during construction and the effectiveness of county oversight mechanisms.
The National Construction Authority further disclosed that the project was non-compliant and that the developer's practising licence had expired before the collapse.
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