The body of a woman recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building in Eastleigh has been taken to Nairobi City Mortuary for identification, as rescue teams continue searching for 16 people who remain unaccounted for.
Nairobi North Regional Commissioner Simon Osumba said the remains were retrieved at about 6.30 am on Friday, October 30, the eighth day of the operation. He said the body was partly dismembered, possibly because of the impact of the falling wall.
“The remains have since been taken to Nairobi City Mortuary, where DNA tests and other identification procedures will be conducted before they are handed over to the family,” Osumba said.
He explained that authorities had contacted families who had reported relatives missing and informed them about the recovery.
The Nairobi North Regional Commissioner maintained that the search would continue to establish the fate of those who were at the building.
“We are still continuing with the exercise of searching for our loved ones who were there. Whether we find them alive or recover their bodies, we will continue with the operation,” he said.
The 18-storey building, which was still under construction, collapsed at about 1 pm on Friday, October 23, along 9th Street in Eastleigh. The incident brought down tonnes of concrete and debris in a commercial area, raising fears that workers, traders and people could have been trapped.
Authorities said 16 people remained unaccounted for after a verification exercise involving the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Osumba explained that mobile phone data had placed nine of the people reported missing at the site shortly before the collapse. Authorities were still seeking information in four other cases, while three families had not provided phone numbers needed to support tracing efforts.
Six people had been rescued in the days following the collapse, according to reports from the rescue operation. Teams are working to reach the lower sections, particularly the basement.
Rescue teams have faced difficulties clearing debris and accessing areas where people are believed to have been trapped. Authorities have said specialised equipment detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble, prompting teams to work towards the locations identified.
By Friday, rescue teams had cleared about 85 per cent of the debris, but the remaining sections continued to pose challenges because of the volume of concrete and the need to work carefully around unstable parts of the structure.
The operation involves the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi County emergency teams, security agencies, the Kenya Red Cross and other responders. Osumba said the teams had received support from the national and county governments, humanitarian partners and the business community.
Families of missing people have remained near the scene awaiting updates.
The collapse has raised questions about approvals and oversight of the construction project. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county had not approved the building application, while the National Environment Management Authority said the project did not have an environmental impact assessment licence.
The National Construction Authority identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer and Stromax Holdings E.A. Limited as the contractor. It said the project had been registered as a proposed development in July 2025.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the DCI to investigate whether county officials, the developer, contractors or construction professionals committed acts or omissions that contributed to the collapse. The probe will examine the planning, approval, supervision and construction of the building.
The ODPP said it would consider prosecution where investigations establish sufficient evidence of criminal responsibility.
Rescue teams remain at the site, with the recovery of the woman’s body reaffirming the uncertainty facing families still waiting for news of those missing.