Several feared trapped after building collapses in Shauri Moyo, rescue efforts on

A building has collapsed in the Blue Estate area of Shauri Moyo in Nairobi, with an unknown number of people feared trapped beneath the rubble.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, the structure gave way adjacent to buildings that were being demolished on riparian land.

Emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, and rescue operations are currently underway as officials work to rescue people trapped inside the debris.

Police have not yet confirmed the number of casualties or injuries.

Residents in the area gathered near the site as rescuers coordinated efforts to search through the rubble.

The latest incident adds to a string of building collapses in Nairobi in recent weeks.

On January 11, two workers died when a building under construction collapsed in Karen.

Seven others were rescued and taken to the hospital with multiple injuries.

Officials said the building, which had reached the first floor, collapsed while masons were laying a slab.

Authorities attributed the collapse to structural failure linked to poor workmanship and inadequate formwork.

Earlier in the month, on January 2, a 14-storey building reportedly suffered a “pancake collapse” in South C, Lang’ata Sub-county, leaving at least two people feared trapped.

Emergency response teams, including Nairobi City County, the National Youth Service, the Kenya Defence Forces Disaster Response Battalion, and the Nairobi Fire Brigade, were deployed to clear debris and search for survivors.

Heavy machinery, including an excavator from NYS, was used in the rescue operation.

These recent incidents highlight ongoing concerns over construction safety in Nairobi, with authorities emphasising the importance of proper building practices and regulatory compliance to prevent further tragedies.

Kenya’s construction professionals expressed concern over repeated building collapses in the country, saying lessons from past disasters have not been implemented.

In a joint statement, leaders of more than ten professional bodies, including engineers, architects, planners, quantity surveyors, project managers, surveyors, and valuers, called for a thorough review of the construction sector following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in South C.

The statement, read by Shammah Kiteme, president of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, said more than 200 buildings have collapsed in Kenya since 1996, and warned that a culture of impunity has made such failures a recurring national tragedy.

“The South C collapse was preventable and highlights deep-rooted systemic failures across planning, approvals, construction, supervision, and enforcement,” Kiteme said.

“Each life lost represents a collective failure that must weigh heavily on our conscience.”

The associations acknowledged that professionals themselves bear responsibility when design, supervision, certification, or ethical standards are compromised.