Nairobi: Twelve-story building collapses in Eastleigh, 87% of audited buildings fail to meet standards

A twelve-story building under construction collapsed on October 23, 2026, around 1:00 PM in Eastleigh, a densely populated commercial district in Nairobi, at the corner of 1st Avenue and 9th Street. Sixty-seven workers were on the site: sixty-six escaped unharmed and one was injured, said Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Eleven people missing

The danger came from below. The basement and ground floor housed an electronics store, a butcher shop, and a grocery store, where about eleven people remained unaccounted for, according to the minister. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja indicated that "one or two" people may have died, pending the outcome of the search. Two injured people were pulled out and taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, according to the Kenyan Red Cross as cited by The Eastleigh Voice.

Rescue workers worked with poles and excavators to move reinforced concrete blocks, with heavy machinery arriving in a trickle. Police Chief Issa Mohamud warned of the risk of a second collapse, as the building was leaning against its neighbor. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd following reports of looting.

An authorized building, illegal shops

The building had received a construction permit, but not an occupancy certificate: opening shops on the ground floor was therefore illegal, explained Johnson Sakaja, stating that this had "potentially cost lives." The National Construction Authority indicates that the site had been registered since July 30, 2025, though it is unknown whether it had been inspected. The police have launched a manhunt for the owner.

A five thousand shilling fine

Beyond the tragedy, it is the issue of impunity that is at stake. "Sanctions can be as low as 5,000 shillings, which is not a deterrent," said the governor, as quoted by Capital FM. He has written to the public prosecutor's office to demand that counties regain the power to prosecute unscrupulous developers, and has asked the professional bodies of architects, engineers, and construction economists to sanction those who withdraw from projects after obtaining permits, leaving the work to unqualified laborers.

The figure that summarizes the risk is that of the National Building Inspectorate: during its last nationwide audit, 87% of the buildings inspected did not meet standards or lacked permits, reports AFP. In neighborhoods where entire families live and work at the foot of hastily erected towers, the issue is not one of an isolated accident, but of a state capable of enforcing its own rules.