Rescuers in Nairobi were searching for seven individuals feared trapped after a 16-storey building under construction collapsed in the densely populated Eastleigh district on Friday. The building, which lay in a pile of rubble, had 11 shops on the ground floor and basement that were occupied at the time of the collapse. Eleven of the 67 workers on the site escaped unharmed, while one was injured. "The contractors and the engineers are supposed to ensure that the works are followed by professionals. But most are not," commented Bibiye Mahmoud, president of the Institution of Engineering Technology of Kenya. She added that there was no accountability, which leads to catastrophes. In a broader context, Kenya's National Building Inspectorate report revealed that 87% of buildings audited nationwide last year failed to meet standards or lacked the required approvals. Nairobi is witnessing a rapid construction boom, with the number of completed buildings annually rising from 20,025 in 2022 to 25,090 last year. The number of building collapses between 2009 and 2019 in Nairobi was 86, killing an estimated 200 people. Corruption has allowed contractors to cut corners or bypass regulations, leading to numerous fatal collapses.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the building's location between other high-rise structures, making it difficult for teams to access the site. Initially, one woman was successfully rescued from the rubble, and rescuers could hear the voice of another trapped individual. However, as of Friday evening, eleven shops on the ground floor and the basement were confirmed to be occupied during the collapse, and seven people remained missing. The lack of an occupation certificate for the building indicated that it was not legally fit for occupation. Local media reported immediate looting after the collapse, and police had to disperse crowds with tear gas. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja expressed concern about the lack of safety measures and highlighted the need for accountability in the construction industry. He noted that the building had no occupation certificate, adding that it had "potentially cost lives." Contractors and engineers often fail to adhere to professional standards, exacerbating the risk of building collapses.
The incident in Eastleigh follows a pattern of building failures in Nairobi. A six-storey building collapsed in a neighboring town in September 2022, killing five individuals, and in 2016, 49 people died when a six-floor apartment building crumbled during heavy rains and floods. These incidents raise serious concerns about the quality and safety of construction in Nairobi. The rapid expansion of the city, driven by urbanization and the influx of people, has put significant pressure on the building inspection and regulatory frameworks. A report by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis further highlighted that corruption has enabled contractors to skirt building regulations, leading to numerous fatalities and structural failures. As Nairobi continues to grow, ensuring stringent standards and accountability in the construction sector remains crucial to prevent further calamities.