Seven reported missing after building under construction collapses in Nairobi's Eastleigh area

A multi-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi, Kenya. Seven people were reported missing, feared trapped under the rubble. A search and rescue operation was under way.

Kipchumba Murkomen gave the figure in a post on X. According to Daily Sabah, the post said: "Eleven shops on the ground floor and in the basement were occupied at the time of the collapse. Seven people have been reported missing."

According to Murkomen, 66 of the 67 construction workers at the site escaped unharmed. One was injured. The BBC described the injuries as not life-threatening.

Video footage showed the building suddenly collapsing and sending a large cloud of dust into the surrounding area. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building lacked the required occupation approval.

At the scene

According to the BBC, dozens of builders were working on the upper floors at the time. Those missing were thought to have been in the shops at the base of the building. The BBC reported that footage showed the bottom floor giving way first, with scaffolding still around the outside. The BBC, citing the Daily Nation newspaper, said responders stopped using diggers over concerns that excavation could limit the air supply to those trapped.

According to Daily Sabah, police said earlier that they had rescued a woman and could hear another person calling for help. The reports do not make clear whether she is counted among the seven missing. Daily Sabah also reported that rescuers had difficulty reaching the site, which sits between other high-rise buildings. The collapse occurred around lunchtime, and local media reported looting shortly afterwards. AFP journalists saw police use tear gas to disperse crowds, according to Daily Sabah.

According to the BBC, Kenya's National Construction Authority said it had identified the company behind the development, the architect and the structural engineer. The statement did not say whether the site had been inspected before Friday. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not name these parties. They do not include a response from the owners or developer. They also do not describe an official cause or include a confirmed death toll.

Background

Daily Sabah cited a Kenya National Building Inspectorate report. It found that 87% of buildings audited nationwide last year failed to meet standards or lacked approvals. A Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis report documented 86 collapses in Nairobi between 2009 and 2019, with an estimated 200 deaths.

What is disputed

• Height: the BBC said the building was thought to have 16 or 18 storeys, unconfirmed. Daily Sabah said 16.
• Murkomen's title: Daily Sabah called him Interior Minister. The BBC called him an interior ministry official.

What each side says

• Governor Sakaja: Daily Sabah quoted him as saying, "This building has no occupation certificate ... this has potentially cost lives." According to the BBC, he told local media that the owners lacked occupancy paperwork. He urged greater local powers to penalise "developers who disregard approved building plans and safety standards."
• Bibiye Mahmoud, Institution of Engineering Technology of Kenya: she told AFP, "There is no accountability," according to Daily Sabah.
• John Ogallo, Institution of Engineers of Kenya: Daily Sabah quoted him as saying, "People here are saying distresses were observed, like cracks."

Analysis

The collapse raises questions about how building rules are enforced. The governor said the structure lacked occupation approval, yet shops inside were open. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not show whether inspections took place or who was responsible for oversight. One possible outcome is regulatory action against the parties the National Construction Authority has identified. Another is a debate between national and local authorities over enforcement powers, as Sakaja's appeal suggests. Much depends on findings not yet included in the reports: the cause of the collapse, the fate of those missing and any response from the developer.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.