A multi-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday afternoon in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood, raising fears that many people remained trapped in the rubble. The building, reported to have been around 18 floors high, came down at approximately 1 p.m. along a busy commercial street in the densely populated area, which is home to numerous traders and residents.
Rescue teams arrived on the scene but faced challenges gaining access to the site, which was congested between other high-rise structures. Police managed to rescue one injured woman and reported hearing the voice of another potential survivor beneath the debris. Authorities cautioned about the risk of a secondary collapse, as the damaged building was leaning against a neighboring structure. Initial recovery efforts involved manually probing the rubble with makeshift tools, while only a limited number of heavy machinery such as excavators arrived several hours later.
Witnesses and workers at the site described the moment of collapse with reports of screams and dust-filled air. Among those who narrowly escaped was Joseph Kaula, a plasterer on the fifth floor, who said he was the last to exit before the structure gave way. Several of his colleagues are feared to be trapped, possibly in the basement or ground level, which housed operational shops despite ongoing construction. A tent was set up nearby to collect information on missing persons.
The incident underscores longstanding concerns over building safety in Nairobi. Kenya’s National Building Inspectorate revealed that 87% of audited buildings nationwide last year either failed to meet regulatory standards or lacked the necessary approvals. Experts and officials pointed to weak enforcement, regulatory gaps, and corruption as factors enabling developers to cut corners on construction quality. Bibiye Mahmoud, president of the Institution of Engineering Technology of Kenya, stated that contractor and engineering oversight is frequently lacking, contributing to repeated collapses.
Between 2009 and 2019, Nairobi experienced 86 building collapses that claimed an estimated 200 lives, according to the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis. Notable recent incidents include a six-storey building collapse in a Nairobi suburb in September 2022, which resulted in five deaths, and a 2016 tragedy in northeast Nairobi where a six-floor apartment block collapsed after heavy rains killed 49 people.
Authorities have promised investigations into the causes of the latest collapse. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed the building had been approved for construction but did not possess a certificate of occupation, making the operation of businesses on the lower floors illegal. He also called for stronger regulatory powers and harsher penalties to deter violations, describing current measures as insufficient. Police efforts to control the scene included firing tear gas to disperse crowds and prevent looting in the surrounding area as emergency teams continued their search for survivors.