VIDEO: CORD leaders teargassed at site of collapsed Huruma building

CORD leader Raila Odinga and his co-principals Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka were on Tuesday caught up in a chaotic scene during their visit at the scene of the collapsed building in Huruma.

The CORD leaders were making their first visit of the area following the collapse of the house Friday evening that lead to the death of 23 people with scores others injured.

Police reportedly had to use teargas to disperse the crowd that had tried to forcefully access the scene, which had been cordoned off, during the CORD leaders’ visit.

The incident comes days after the CORD principals were caught up in another chaotic scene during their march to IEBC offices to force for the removal of the commissioners from office over apparent incompetence to hold the 2017 elections.

The march turned chaotic after police resisted the attempts by the leaders and their supporters to access the offices located at the Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.

After calm returned, the CORD leaders visited Starehe CDF offices where they met 6-month-old baby, Dealeryn Saisi Wasike, who was rescued from the rubble Tuesday morning, four days after the tragedy.

Raila condoled with families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy saying as a coalition they would ensure they get all the necessary support to pick themselves up and rebuild their lives.

Police Inspector General Joseph Boinnet on Saturday ordered for the arrest of the owner of the building for flouting construction regulations, following directions by President Uhuru Kenyatta after his visit of the scene.

During his visit, President Kenyatta instructed Interior Ministry and the Nairobi County Government to undertake an immediate survey of all the houses in the area to identify those that are safe for occupation.

The president gave the order after it emerged that the National Construction Authority (NCA) had condemned the house for demolition but the directive was ignored.

NCA chairman Stephen Oundo has stated that the building had no occupation certificate from the authority indicating that they had not met the prerequisite perimeters necessary for the construct the building.

Oundo stated that so far 2061 buildings have been inspected out of which 226 are suspect. In Huruma, he noted, 500 buildings have been inspected of which 56 are considered suspect.

@benjaminwafula