By Nyang’au Araka
Seven people are unaccounted for following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, as emergency teams continue searching the rubble for survivors.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said 67 construction workers were at the site when the building collapsed on Friday afternoon, October 23, but all had been accounted for, with 66 escaping uninjured and one sustaining injuries.
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“Eleven shops on the ground floor and in the basement were occupied at the time of the collapse,” Murkomen said in an update after visiting the scene alongside Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku.
He said seven people who were believed to have been inside the shops had been reported missing, adding that rescuers had established contact with some of them as efforts continued to reach those trapped beneath the debris.
A multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Police Service, Nairobi City County Government, National Youth Service (NYS), Kenya Red Cross and other government agencies is coordinating the rescue operation.
Excavators and sniffer dogs have been deployed to help clear the debris and locate possible survivors. The operation has been complicated by concerns that removing rubble could interfere with the air supply of people trapped underneath.
Murkomen appealed to families searching for missing relatives to report to the Kenya Red Cross through its emergency response number, 1199.
“We are providing the rescue team with all the support it needs to expedite the search and rescue operation,” he said, adding that psychosocial support was being arranged for affected individuals and families.
The government also promised a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse, with Murkomen warning that those found responsible would be held accountable.
The collapse has also triggered questions over whether the development had the necessary approvals and whether construction regulations were properly enforced.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said a review of county records showed that an application to construct a 15-storey building with a basement had been submitted but never approved.
“We’ve looked at the documentation. They had applied in 2024 for a change of use. That was granted. Then an application was made through one John Mutia Musyoke, who is the developer on record. That application was to do 15 plus basements. The application was never granted,” Sakaja said.
He said the county had forwarded relevant documents to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further investigations, calling for accountability among the property owners, developer, architect, engineers and any public officers found culpable.
“The architect on record needs to answer as to how his client went on to start construction and continue construction without any approval,” the governor said.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) subsequently identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer and Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as the contractor. It listed Emmanuel Mwangi Maina as the project architect and Joseph Muturi Mugu as the structural engineer.
The authority said the proposed development was registered on July 30, 2025, but did not indicate whether it had inspected the building before the collapse or whether enforcement action had been taken.
The Kenya Red Cross had earlier reported that two injured people had been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, while 26 people who had initially been reported missing had been traced and accounted for. A tracing desk was also established at the scene to help families locate their relatives.
Rescue operations were still ongoing on Saturday, with authorities urging members of the public to keep away from the affected area to allow emergency teams to work without obstruction.
Murkomen expressed sympathy to those affected by the tragedy, saying the government was committed to supporting families as investigations and rescue efforts continued.
The cause of the collapse has not been established.
