By Ongaga Ongaga
A quiet Friday morning in South C quickly turned into a scene of heartbreak, fear and frantic rescue efforts after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed, killing at least two people.
The building was coming up along Muhoho Avenue, near the South C Shopping Centre and Nairobi South Hospital.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) confirmed the structure — a proposed mixed-use development — came down in the early hours of Friday.
At the time of the collapse, the project was not compliant with construction regulations, the authority said in a statement.
Emergency teams from the Kenya Red Cross, National Disaster Management Unit, National Police Service and other agencies have been on the ground since first light, combing through rubble and debris in a desperate search for survivors.
Reports from multiple media outlets suggest several people may be trapped beneath the collapsed building.
At least four are unaccounted for as neighbors and first responders work through unstable debris.
One man was reportedly rescued and rushed to hospital, and security guards who were manning the site are among those still missing.
Preliminary assessments and county officials’ statements paint a disturbing picture: the building had been flagged for violations by Nairobi City County enforcement teams multiple times in 2025, yet work continued.
The building was to have 12 floors but had 4 more when it died, according to reports in sections of the media.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said investigators believe developers may have exceeded the number of floors originally approved — adding levels without proper authorization — potentially contributing to the catastrophic failure.
Locals described the collapse as “foreseeable and preventable”, and there are growing calls from residents’ groups for accountability and prosecutions of those responsible.
Political leaders have reacted with anger and urgency.
Lang’ata MP Phelix “Jalang’o” Odiwuor has called for all construction in South C and neighbouring wards to be halted until safety audits are completed.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino slammed authorities for poor oversight and demanded transparent investigations.
South C residents say this tragedy must be a turning point for better enforcement of building codes — and a reminder that human lives should never be treated as an afterthought in Kenya’s construction boom.
The NCA promised a comprehensive report once investigations conclude.