Eastleigh Building Collapse: Police Say Two Survivors Pulled From Rubble as Search for Trapped ContinuesEastleigh Building Collapse: Police Say Two Survivors Pulled From Rubble as Search for Trapped Continues
Key Highlights
- Police say two survivors have been pulled from the rubble of the collapsed 9th Street building in Eastleigh, a day after it fell.
- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said 66 of 67 construction workers on site escaped unhurt, while seven people were reported missing.
- The Kenya Red Cross has logged missing-person cases and says tracing continues, as officials say building plans were submitted but never approved.
Police say two survivors have been rescued from the rubble of the multi-storey building that collapsed on 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Friday 23 October 2026, as the search for people still trapped continued into Saturday.
The rescue is the first confirmed sign of life under the debris since the collapse, and it shifts the story from a construction accident to a test of how Nairobi enforces building rules. The National Police Service (NPS) said the survivors were rushed to hospital, and that teams were still searching for more.
Rescue operation and the count of the missing
The NPS said a multi-agency team, including the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Red Cross and Nairobi City County emergency crews, was working at the site. A separate live report by Eastleigh Voice put one rescue at 4.43pm on Saturday, with the person taken to Kenyatta National Hospital; the two accounts differ on the number of survivors, and Mwenendo has attributed each.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said earlier that 67 construction workers were on site, that 66 escaped unhurt and that one was injured and admitted in stable condition. He said seven people were missing and that rescuers had made contact with some of those trapped.
The Kenya Red Cross said it had recorded 31 missing-person cases by 1.30pm on Saturday and later reported that 66 of the 67 workers had been traced. Its Disaster Officer, Vincent Ochieng, said contact tracing was continuing because some workers may have left the site before the collapse. The figures were issued at different times and have not been reconciled.
Approvals under scrutiny
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had no occupation certificate and was built without approved plans despite earlier enforcement action. Government Spokesperson Charles Owino said plans had been submitted to the county government but not approved, and raised suspicion that documents presented to the National Construction Authority (NCA) may have been forged. No forgery has been confirmed.
The NCA earlier named 9th Street Plaza Limited as developer and Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as contractor. Police commander Issa Mohamud said the owner and those who authorised the project could face charges once investigations end. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, and no charges have been announced.
What it means for the sector
Construction is a major driver of Kenya's economy, and a confirmed structural failure is likely to bring tougher checks on sites across the capital. As Mwenendo earlier reported, construction growth eased to 6.0% in the second quarter of 2026 from 7.3% a year earlier.
Mwenendo earlier reported on how the Nandi road programme is expected to lift public works. Mwenendo will update this story when the authorities confirm the final casualty figures and the cause of the collapse.
In Summary
- What happened in Eastleigh?
- A multi-storey building under construction on 9th Street collapsed on Friday 23 October 2026.
- Who has been rescued?
- Police say two survivors were rescued and taken to hospital; Eastleigh Voice reported one rescue at 4.43pm on Saturday.
- When did it happen?
- Friday 23 October 2026; the search continued on Saturday 24 October.
- Where is the site?
- 9th Street, Eastleigh, Kamukunji Sub-County, Nairobi.
- Why is it under scrutiny?
- Officials say plans were submitted but not approved and there was no occupation certificate; the cause is under investigation.
- How many are missing?
- Murkomen reported seven missing; the Kenya Red Cross logged 31 missing-person cases and traced 66 of 67 workers.