A section of Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) has questioned the decision by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to charge dozens of officials over the deadly collapse of the Manzil Towers building in South C, claiming the list disproportionately targets junior officers while leaving out senior decision-makers.
The concerns emerged after the ODPP approved the prosecution of 37 individuals, including public officials, developers, engineers and consultants linked to the project, following investigations into the January 2026 building collapse that claimed lives and sparked public outrage over the state of development control in Nairobi.
Led by Lindi Ward MCA Ochieng Jera and supported by Korogocho MCA Absolom Odhiambo, nominated MCA Jeckoniah Onyango and Utalii Ward MCA Abel Osumba Atito, the legislators argued that accountability should focus on officers directly involved in approving building plans and supervising developments.
According to the MCAs, investigations should be expanded to include senior officers who exercised authority over approvals, inspections and enforcement actions within the planning department.
The legislators specifically questioned the exclusion of Deputy Director for Approvals Fredrick Ondari Ochanda, arguing that his office played a critical role in the approvals process and should be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as other officials named in the case.