A total of 156 tenants were evacuated from a ten-storey building in the Kwa Maji area of Kabiria, Dagoretti Sub-County, Nairobi, after engineers declared the premises dangerous following the discovery of cracks.
The evacuation took place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after authorities were alerted to the potentially unsafe structure.
According to police, the incident was reported at around 3:45 pm by Wilson, an assistant director at the Nairobi County Fire Engine Department.
Police officers rushed to the scene and found a team of planning engineers, headed by Engineer Rex Maroko, assessing the building.
Following an inspection, the engineers declared the structure dangerous and advised all occupants to vacate immediately.
A total of 156 tenants complied with the directive and evacuated the premises without incident.
The building was subsequently secured as authorities moved to prevent further access.
The cause of the cracks had not been established by the time of the report.
Police said the incident occurred after tenants discovered a huge crack in one of the walls, prompting them to raise the alarm and contact Riruta Police Station and Nairobi City County officials.
Police officers and county enforcement officials responded to the scene and, after inspecting the premises and the visible cracks, ordered all occupants to vacate the building as they conducted further assessments.
The evacuation left tenants scrambling to move their belongings, with some forced to abandon household items as they sought alternative accommodation.
In an enforcement notice issued by Nairobi City County under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act No. 13 of 2019 and Nairobi City County by-laws, the building was described as a dangerous and ruinous permanent structure.
The notice identified the property as Nairobi Block 66/7880, located along Kabiria Road in Riruta Ward, Dagoretti South Sub-County. It further described the development as a permanent structure with 10 levels of occupation.
The county cited alleged non-compliance with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act No. 13 of 2019, the Building Code 2024 and other relevant regulations, stating that the development had been undertaken without the required planning permission.
Among the directives issued were the immediate vacation of all occupants and the removal of the structure.
The county warned that failure to comply could result in enforcement action, with the cost of such intervention recoverable as a civil debt.
Police officers are manning the building as the incident has renewed concerns over building safety, planning approvals and the enforcement of construction regulations in Nairobi, particularly in rapidly developing residential neighbourhoods.
The incident comes a week after a building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, leaving at least one person dead. Six others were rescued. The rescue mission entered its second week on Friday.
