Kenya: Collapsed building’s owner faces 52 counts for deaths

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan police have charged the owner of a building that collapsed and killed dozens of people in April with 52 counts of manslaughter and five other counts related to the building’s construction.

Samuel Karanja Kamau denied all the charges Tuesday.

The five other people accused in the collapse were not in court, and arrest warrants were issued for two of them after the prosecution said they failed to report to the police.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in the country last year, an audit of Kenya’s buildings found that 58 per cent in Nairobi are unfit for habitation.

With housing in high demand in Nairobi, some developers are accused of bypassing regulations to cut costs and maximize profits.