Questions Mount Over Osman Khalif’s Alleged Influence on Nairobi’s Planning Decisions as Eastleigh Building Collapse Intensifies Scrutiny of Governor’s Inner Circle
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is facing renewed questions over the people wielding influence inside City Hall after allegations emerged that his close political associate, Osman Khalif Abdi, has been involved in a building approval system now under intense scrutiny following a series of illegal developments and deadly collapses.
Khalif, a former South C Member of County Assembly who serves as a political operative and personal liaison around the governor, has been named in allegations concerning the influence of individuals outside the formal planning establishment over decisions that determine which buildings rise in the capital.
The allegations have gained urgency following the October 23, 2026, collapse of a high-rise building in Eastleigh, which has exposed fresh questions about development approvals, enforcement failures and the accountability of officials entrusted with protecting Nairobi residents.
At the heart of the controversy is a fundamental question: who actually controls building approvals at City Hall, and how much authority do politically connected individuals exercise over a process that should be governed by professional standards and the law?
Officials Told They Could Not Stop Sakaja’s Aides
Testimony before the Nairobi County Assembly’s planning committee in May 2024 provides a significant lead in the unfolding controversy.
According to reports of the proceedings, former County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning Stephen Mwangi told the committee that two individuals without a formal entitlement to sit on the Urban Planning Technical Committee had been participating in its proceedings with the backing of the governor’s office.
The individuals identified were Khalif and Governor Sakaja’s Chief of Staff, David Njoroge.
Mwangi reportedly told the committee that he could not stop them from participating, raising questions about the independence of the technical department and the extent to which formal administrative structures could resist political interference.
The revelations place the spotlight on the Urban Planning Technical Committee, the body involved in reviewing development plans, and whether its decisions were being shaped by qualified professionals or people whose influence derived primarily from their proximity to the governor.
The same proceedings reportedly examined a meeting held at Sakaja’s private Riverside Drive residence on March 8, 2024, during which 154 building plans were discussed and 131 approved. Khalif and Njoroge were reportedly present.
The circumstances surrounding that meeting raise questions about the transparency of the approval process, the records used to support the decisions and the safeguards in place to ensure that every plan complied with the applicable planning and construction requirements.
The presence of political aides at a meeting where development plans are discussed does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing. However, the allegations that individuals without formal technical roles participated in the process warrant a clear explanation from the county administration.
Professional Bodies Raise Alarm Over City Hall Interference
The concerns are not confined to political accusations.
Representatives of the Architectural Association of Kenya, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya and the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya have raised concerns before the County Assembly about alleged interference in Nairobi’s building approval system.
In a report published by the Daily Nation on October 2, 2026, the professionals accused the county administration of sidelining industry stakeholders and allowing individuals outside the formal planning establishment to influence which applications receive priority.
Architectural Association of Kenya Vice-President Brenda Nyawara also raised concerns about alleged interference with the Nairobi Planning and Development Management System, the online platform intended to facilitate the processing of building applications.
She warned that interference with the digital process could create loopholes for manual approvals and expose residents to risks associated with developments that bypass proper scrutiny.
The professionals argued that building plans should be subjected to rigorous technical assessment involving architects, engineers, surveyors and other relevant specialists.
Their concerns raise a broader governance issue: whether the county’s digital approval system is functioning as an effective safeguard or whether administrative discretion and informal influence can undermine its purpose.
Ombudsman’s Findings Deepen the Crisis
The controversy comes against the backdrop of a separate investigation by the Commission on Administrative Justice, commonly known as the Office of the Ombudsman, into alleged irregular building approvals in Nairobi.
In February 2026, the commission recommended legal proceedings against several county officials following its investigation into a dispute involving Coldstone Investment Limited and Khaleej Towers Limited over a high-rise development in Eastleigh.
The officials named in the reported recommendations included former planning executive Stephen Mwangi, former Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo, Development Control Assistant Director Fredrick Ochanda, Development Control Officer Simon Omondi and Planning, Compliance and Enforcement Director Tom Achar.
The commission identified procedural weaknesses in the county’s planning system, inadequate coordination between departments and failures to enforce development regulations.
Its investigation found that the approvals examined in the dispute were procedurally flawed and that construction had continued despite enforcement measures.
The report also recommended disciplinary action against implicated officers and reforms to strengthen oversight of building approvals.
Khalif was not among the officials identified in Capital FM’s report on the Ombudsman’s recommendations. The findings therefore should not be treated as a determination of his personal culpability. They nevertheless provide documented evidence of wider weaknesses in the system in which the allegations about his influence have emerged.
Eastleigh Collapse Puts Accountability Under the Spotlight
The October 23 collapse has brought the issue of accountability into sharper focus.
The disaster has raised questions about whether construction projects are being subjected to adequate scrutiny, whether enforcement notices are acted upon and whether developers who disregard regulatory requirements face meaningful consequences.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate whether any act or omission by county officials, developers, contractors or other professionals contributed to the disaster.
That investigation will be critical in establishing the chain of responsibility, including whether required approvals were obtained, whether the construction complied with approved plans and whether officials failed to act on known violations.
Sakaja’s administration must now answer questions about the effectiveness of its planning and enforcement systems, particularly where allegations have persisted that people outside the formal technical hierarchy can influence official decisions.
The governor’s response to the Eastleigh disaster and the outcome of the investigations will help determine whether the county can demonstrate that its approval system operates on professional standards rather than political access.
Questions Sakaja Must Answer
The controversy places the governor’s leadership under scrutiny because the alleged involvement of his close associates raises questions about the relationship between political authority and technical decision-making at City Hall.
If individuals without formal planning responsibilities were participating in discussions on development applications, the county should disclose the legal or administrative basis for their involvement and clarify what authority, if any, they exercised over decisions.
The administration should also explain how building plans discussed outside ordinary county offices were documented, assessed and entered into the official approval system.
Khalif’s alleged influence must be examined through verifiable records, committee minutes, approval histories and testimony from the officials involved rather than political association alone.
The DCI’s investigation into the Eastleigh collapse provides an opportunity to establish whether failures were isolated to particular projects or reflect deeper weaknesses in Nairobi’s planning and enforcement machinery.
For Nairobi residents, the stakes extend beyond the internal power struggles at City Hall. Building approvals determine whether homes, workplaces and commercial premises comply with requirements intended to protect lives and property.
The central issue is no longer simply who has the governor’s ear. It is whether the people exercising influence over Nairobi’s development decisions are accountable to the law, and whether the county’s technical institutions have the independence and capacity to stop unsafe construction before another tragedy occurs.
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