Eastleigh Building Collapse Leaves People Trapped as Probe Begins

An 18-storey building under construction collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, at around 1pm on Friday. At least one woman was rescued while several people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.

The structure had a basement parking area and reportedly suffered a complete pancake-type collapse, with floors falling onto one another. The ground floor was already occupied by businesses despite ongoing construction, raising fears that traders and customers were inside.

“Any person or group of people found culpable will be held fully accountable in accordance with the laws of Kenya.”

Emergency responders, including police, military personnel, Kenya Red Cross teams and Nairobi City County emergency crews, rushed to the scene. Heavy machinery was deployed to remove debris and create access routes for survivors.

Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamed said authorities were still gathering information and that more officers had been deployed to secure the scene. He added that the cause of the collapse had not been established.

A multi-agency team comprising the National Police Service, National Construction Authority, National Building Inspectorate, Engineers Board of Kenya, Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors, National Environment Management Authority and Nairobi City County Government will investigate.

Mohamed said any person or group found culpable will be held fully accountable under Kenyan law. Police were also searching for the building's owner and planned to interview City Hall officials.

Sakaja revealed the building had received an approval certificate from the county government but did not have an occupation certificate.