Family Appeals for Swift Rescue After Nairobi building Collapse
Safia Ali says her brother is trapped under the rubble and managed to communicate briefly with his family, raising fears that a prolonged rescue operation could put his life at risk.
A family member of one of the people trapped in a 16-storey building that collapsed early Friday morning, January 2, 2026, has appealed to the government to expedite the rescue process to save his life.
Safia Ali says her brother is trapped under the rubble and managed to communicate briefly with his family, raising fears that a prolonged rescue operation could put his life at risk. “My brother is trapped inside the building and he called, but he was unable to speak properly,” she said.
Two watchmen and two passers-by were in the vicinity of the building along Muhoho Avenue in South C, Nairobi, when the structure came down at 4:30 a.m.
Families of those trapped are at the scene, anxiously waiting for news about their loved ones.
Safia’s comments came as the government temporarily halted rescue operations following fears that an adjacent structure might also collapse.
Structural engineers are assessing a neighbouring 14-storey building that has been classified as high risk due to potential structural compromise caused by vibrations and impact from the collapse. Police have already advised residents in the vicinity to evacuate over fears that the building could also come down.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku confirmed that four people are trapped inside the rubble of the collapsed building.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the collapse was the result of serious regulatory violations, as the structure had been approved for construction up to only 12 floors. This compromised the integrity of the building and contributed to its collapse.
South C MCA Abass Khalif has blamed negligence and oversight failures by Nairobi City County officials, citing lapses in inspection, enforcement, and development control. “Preliminary findings point to negligence and oversight failures by the Nairobi City County’s Urban Planning Department,” he said.
Nairobi Police Commander George Seda said multi-agency teams were at the site conducting search and rescue operations. “One man, who we believe was a pedestrian, was rescued and rushed to hospital. He was walking nearby when the building collapsed. We suspect there may be other people trapped inside,” he said.
Emergency response efforts are being jointly undertaken by teams from Nairobi City County, the National Youth Service (NYS), the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Disaster Response Battalion, and the Nairobi Fire Brigade.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, as authorities seek to establish whether it was occasioned by regulatory failures or structural weaknesses.