NAIROBI — Rescue teams continued working through the night on Friday after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, with at least two people rescued and others still feared trapped beneath the rubble.Kenyans
The structure came down around 1 p.m. along Yusuf Haji Avenue on 9th Street, next to Day to Day Supermarket in the busy commercial area. Reports described a pancake-style collapse of the unfinished building, which sources variously put at roughly 10 to 18 storeys. Its ground floor and basement housed operating businesses—including shops for electronics, a butchery and a grocery—while construction continued on the upper floors.Al Jazeera
Kenya Red Cross and other responders confirmed that two injured people were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Earlier reports noted one woman pulled from the debris. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who visited the site, said roughly 67 construction workers had been at the project: most had escaped or been accounted for (with one injured), while about 11 people linked to the occupied lower levels remained unaccounted for. Some of those trapped were reported to be in communication with rescuers. Kenya Red Cross also noted that 26 people previously listed as missing had been traced, and a tracing desk was set up for families.X
Multi-agency teams—including Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi City County disaster services, police, Kenya Defence Forces, General Service Unit, National Youth Service and others—deployed excavators, breakers and sniffer dogs. Operations briefly paused around 6 p.m. after reports that debris removal was affecting oxygen for people still beneath the rubble; teams consulted and later resumed work into the night. Police used tear gas earlier to manage crowds and some looting near the site.Kenyans
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had received county construction approval but lacked an occupation certificate, making use of the lower floors illegal. He criticised weak enforcement, low fines for violations and cases in which developers reportedly replace qualified professionals after securing approvals. He renewed calls for counties to regain prosecutorial powers. Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamed and Inspector General Douglas Kanja emphasised that investigations into possible criminal negligence would hold the owner and those who authorised or oversaw the project accountable, with a manhunt launched for the owner.Eastleighvoice
The National Construction Authority identified the developer as 9th Street Plaza Limited, the contractor as Stromax Holdings E.A Limited, the project architect as Emmanuel Mwangi Maina and the structural engineer as Joseph Muturi Mugu. The project was registered with the NCA on 30 July 2025. The authority said a multi-agency team was coordinating rescue and preliminary investigations; the cause of the collapse had not been established.Eastleighvoice
Political leaders, including Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and others, called for thorough probes into approvals, inspections and possible negligence or corruption. The incident has again highlighted longstanding concerns over construction safety and regulatory enforcement in Nairobi, following previous collapses in the city.
As of late Friday, the full number of people still trapped and any confirmed fatalities remained unclear, with the focus remaining on locating and extracting survivors. Authorities urged the public to stay clear of the area so rescuers could work. The story is developing.