Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has vowed stern action against the developers of a 14-storey building that collapsed in Nairobi’s South C Estate on January 2, 2026.
This came as multi-agency teams worked late into the night on Friday, searching for four individuals suspected to be trapped under the rubble.
Speaking at the scene, CS Ruku revealed that the building had flouted construction regulations prior to Friday’s collapse.
“We have all the approval documents from the Nairobi City County Government, and according to the approvals, the building was only supposed to go up to 12 floors. However, it is reported that it had already reached the 14th floor,” said Ruku.
“It is suspected that the building collapsed due to column overload.”
The CS further stated that the developers had been issued a stop order in August last year, directing them to halt construction, but the directive was ignored.
“On August 11, 2025, Nairobi City County Government issued a stop order requiring construction to cease. However, it appears that the order was not complied with,” he said.
"We want to assure all Kenyans that, as a government, we will thoroughly investigate the negligence that led to the collapse of this building. We will establish what went wrong, and all those responsible will be held to account in accordance with the rule of law."
Ruku added that the four people suspected to be trapped under the debris include two watchmen and two passengers who were travelling in a taxi.
His remarks came as the National Construction Authority (NCA) described the project as non-compliant at the time of the incident.
The building, a proposed mixed-use development located on Muhoho Avenue, Plot No. 68/1306 in South C Ward, Lang’ata Sub-County, was registered with the NCA on November 8, 2023.
According to the Authority, the developer on record, Abyan Consulting Limited, also served as the contractor, while the consultants involved included Architect Gideon Chege Mwangi (A2010), Engineer Peter Kimani Kireru (A3687), and Quantity Surveyor James Kirika Njoroge (Q1126).
The contractor was registered under the NCA 4 category for building works, and the sole company director is Yussuf Mohamed Yussuf.
According to Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Boroughs and Sub-County Administration, Dabasso Wario, preliminary assessments indicate that the incident involved a “pancake collapse” of the 14-storey structure.
A command centre has been established to coordinate rescue and response operations, with debris removal continuing alongside the primary search phase.
The County also warned that an adjacent 14-storey building has been identified as a high-risk structure, with possible structural compromise resulting from vibrations and impact caused by the collapse.
Nairobi City County further disclosed that the collapsed site had previously been subjected to enforcement actions over various infractions in May, July, and December 2025.
