Rescue teams are continuing to search through the rubble of a collapsed multi-storey building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, after seven people were reported missing following the incident on Friday afternoon.
The building came down on 9th Street in Eastleigh, within Kamukunji Sub-County, leaving emergency responders with the task of searching for people who may have been trapped inside.
The start of the rescue operation was marked by confusion as teams moved in to assess the situation and establish whether anyone was still missing.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen provided an update late Friday night, saying 67 construction workers had been at the site when the building collapsed.
According to the CS, all the workers had been accounted for, with 66 escaping without injuries while one sustained injuries and was taken for medical attention.
“Sixty-six escaped uninjured, while one sustained injuries and is in stable condition in hospital,” Murkomen stated on October 23.
However, the government reported that seven other people believed to have been working or operating within the building were still missing.
Their whereabouts remained unclear as rescue teams continued efforts to reach those who may have been trapped beneath the debris.
Murkomen said rescuers had managed to establish contact with some of the missing people, raising hopes that they could be reached as the operation continued.
“The rescue team has made contact with some of them, and efforts are underway to rescue those trapped in the rubble,” he said.
The CS also revealed that the building reportedly had no occupation certificate. It had 11 shops on the ground floor, while the basement was also occupied when the structure collapsed.
The Kenya Red Cross had earlier confirmed that two injured people had been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital as emergency teams worked at the scene. The organisation also reported that 26 people who had previously been listed as missing had been traced and accounted for.
However, the Red Cross did not clarify whether the 26 people referred to in its update included the seven individuals mentioned in Murkomen’s statement.
The difference in the figures left questions about the number of people who were still unaccounted for as the rescue operation continued.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) said the site had been secured and cordoned off to allow emergency responders to carry out their work.
A multi-agency team was coordinating the rescue operation while also beginning preliminary investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The agencies involved include the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, Nairobi City County Government, National Youth Service, Kenya Red Cross and other government bodies.
The NCA confirmed that the building was registered with the authority on July 30, 2025. It also said it had identified the developer and contractor linked to the project.
Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud had earlier told the media that police were looking for the building’s owner. However, it was not immediately clear whether the owner had been located by the time of publication.
The collapse has raised questions about construction safety, building approvals and the enforcement of regulations in Nairobi, particularly where buildings are being developed in busy commercial areas.
The NCA said investigations into the incident were underway, although authorities had not established or announced the cause of the collapse.
Murkomen said the matter would be investigated by the relevant national and county government agencies working alongside professional bodies. He also warned that anyone found responsible would face accountability.
“The cause of the collapse will be thoroughly investigated by the relevant national and county government agencies in collaboration with the relevant professional bodies. Those found responsible will be held accountable,” Murkomen asserted.
Rescue operations and investigations are expected to establish what led to the collapse, whether the building complied with the required construction standards and what happened to the people initially reported missing.
