Building collapse: One still missing as recovery enters final phase

Rescue and recovery operations at the site of the collapsed 14-storey building in South C, Nairobi remain focused on finding one person still believed to be trapped in the rubble.

Emergency teams have been at the scene since the building suddenly collapsed on Friday, January 2, 2026, at around 4:05 a.m. near the South C Shopping Centre and Nairobi South Hospital, in what officials described as a pancake-type collapse of the structure.

Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said earlier assessments based on CCTV footage and witness statements revised the number of people trapped from four to two, both of whom were security guards on duty when the building fell.

"One of those bodies has been recovered, and search teams are intensifying efforts to locate the remaining missing person," said Mr Ruku on Tuesday.

Rescue teams under the National Disaster Management Unit, with support from the Kenya Red Cross Society, Nairobi City County, National Youth Service and other responders, have worked continuously amid hazardous conditions.

Assistant Inspector General of Police Dr Duncan Ochieng said the operation was more than 60 percent complete, but caution was necessary given the risk of further structural failures.

On Monday, Lands and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome addressed the media at the scene, warning that professionals implicated in the illegal construction could face disciplinary action, including deregistration.

She disclosed that although the building had been approved for only 12 floors, developers proceeded to construct additional levels without authorisation, a breach now at the centre of the investigation.

“It is unacceptable that approved plans were ignored. Anyone found culpable will be held accountable, including architects, contractors and inspectors,” CS Wahome said.

She assured the public that her ministry was working with other agencies to establish exactly how the violations occurred.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has directed the Inspector General of Police to fast-track inquiries and submit a comprehensive report within seven days, including statements from all officials and professionals involved in approvals, inspections and enforcement.

Nearby businesses and schools were closed in the days following the collapse as the area remained cordoned off for safety.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has also called for county governments to be empowered with prosecutorial authority to act directly against rogue developers in future.