A multi-storey building under construction along 9th Street in Eastleigh collapsed on Friday afternoon, leaving residents and families anxious as rescue teams dig through the rubble. The 18-storey structure came down in the busy Kamukunji area, where small shops, hawkers and construction workers are a common sight during the day.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the site on Friday evening together with Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku. Speaking after the visit, Murkomen said 67 construction workers were on site when the building came down. He said all of them had been accounted for, with 66 escaping unhurt and one injured. The injured man is said to be in stable condition in hospital.
The bigger worry is the people who were inside the shops on the ground floor and in the basement. Murkomen said eleven shops were occupied at the time, and seven people had been reported missing. Other reports from the scene put the number of missing people at eleven, so the exact figure is still being confirmed. The rescue team says it has made contact with some of the trapped people, and efforts to reach the rest are ongoing.
A multi-agency team has been deployed to the site. It includes the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Police Service, Nairobi City County Government, the National Youth Service, the Kenya Red Cross and other government agencies. Photos from the scene show rescuers in hard hats and reflective jackets working among heavy concrete slabs, while excavators clear the debris.
The National Construction Authority, in a press statement, said the site had been cordoned off and that its immediate priority was public safety. According to the Authority, the building was registered on 30th July 2025 as a proposed development on 9th Street. The developer on record is 9th Street Plaza Limited, and the contractor is Stromax Holdings E.A Limited. The Authority said details on the rescue operation and the state of the site will be shared as the work goes on.
Families of anyone who may be missing have been asked to report to the Kenya Red Cross through its emergency line, 1199. The government has also said that psychosocial support is being arranged for affected families and survivors.
Officials have promised a thorough investigation into what caused the collapse, with the relevant national and county agencies working alongside professional bodies. Those found responsible, they say, will be held accountable.
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