NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 2 — Police say a pedestrian who was struck by flying debris from a collapsed 16-storey building in Nairobi’s South C area is in stable condition at Mbagathi Hospital, as rescue teams continue efforts to establish whether more victims may be trapped under the rubble.
According to a police report filed at Akila Police Station in Lang’ata Sub-County, the incident occurred at around 4.30am along Muhoho Avenue when the building still under construction collapsed, sending debris into nearby properties and onto the roadway.
A taxi driver reported that debris from the collapse damaged his vehicle—a Toyota Vitz registration number KDM 045P—shattering the windscreen. Police officers rushed to the scene shortly after receiving the report at 5.18am.
“It was established that a 16-storey building under construction had indeed collapsed along Muhoho Avenue,” police said.
“Another victim of the falling debris was Gideon Kimanthi, who was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital and is in stable condition.”
NDMU response
Police said the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), under Operations Commander Dr Duncan Ochieng, is coordinating the emergency response at the site.
Rescue and recovery efforts are being supported by the Kenya Defence Forces disaster response team, the Nairobi County disaster response unit and the Kenya Red Cross.
Authorities said search operations are ongoing to determine whether there were individuals trapped inside the building at the time of the collapse, with a progress report expected as operations advance.
The collapse has once again put Nairobi’s construction safety standards under scrutiny, particularly concerns surrounding approval processes, supervision and enforcement of regulations governing high-rise developments.
In September 2023, a 10-storey residential building under construction collapsed along Mirema Drive in the Zimmerman area of Roysambu, damaging nearby structures. No casualties were reported, although preliminary investigations cited poor-quality structural concrete as a possible cause.
More recently, in October 2024, an eight-storey residential building in Kahawa West collapsed after it had been condemned for demolition. Tenants were in the process of being evacuated at the time, a move that helped minimise injuries.
