Engineers’ President warns against operating businesses at construction sites after Eastleigh collapse

President of the Institution of Engineers Kenya, Harrison Keter, has cautioned against allowing businesses to operate in buildings that are still under construction, following the collapse of a multi-storey building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area that triggered a search-and-rescue operation.

Addressing the media, Keter said construction sites should be cordoned off and access restricted to authorised personnel, warning that ignoring basic safety precautions exposes workers, traders and members of the public to serious risks.

“Why are we flouting basic rules, simple common sense? You cannot start doing business in a building that's under construction. A construction site is definitely supposed to be cordoned off, and only the people who are working there are supposed to be there,” Keter said.

His remarks come after an 18-storey building under construction collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh on Friday, October 23, raising questions about construction safety, regulatory oversight and the enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi.

The collapse occurred at around 1 pm, with the building’s ground floor and basement reportedly occupied even as construction work continued. Rescue teams have since been searching through the rubble for people feared trapped beneath the debris.

By Sunday, October 25, the National Police Service had confirmed that four people had been rescued alive and taken to hospital for medical attention.

The Kenya Red Cross has also been coordinating efforts to establish the whereabouts of people reported missing. On Sunday, the number of missing-person reports received by the organisation had risen to 47, although the figure included cases that were still being verified.

The State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Principal Secretary, Susan Mang’eni, said nine families had been reunited with their relatives, underlining the need to establish how many people remained unaccounted for and how many might still be trapped in the debris.

The Kenya Red Cross has set up a tracing desk to receive reports from families and verify information about missing relatives. It has also deployed search-and-rescue personnel alongside other emergency responders.

Excavators and sniffer dogs have been used to help clear debris and locate possible survivors, while the organisation has provided support to affected families. People searching for missing relatives have been urged to contact the Red Cross through its toll-free number, 1199.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has questioned how the building was allowed to operate commercially while construction was ongoing.

According to the governor, county records showed that a change of user from residential to commercial had been approved, but the architectural plans required to authorise construction had not been approved. The building also reportedly lacked an occupation certificate.

Sakaja has called for tougher penalties against developers who disregard construction regulations. He has also demanded an explanation over the reported release on cash bail of suspects arrested in connection with the building, saying county officers had handed them over to police after taking enforcement action.

The National Construction Authority identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer, Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as the contractor, Emmanuel Mwangi Maina as the project architect, and Joseph Muturi Mugu as the structural engineer listed for the development.

The authority said the project had been registered in July 2025. Investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and whether any construction or regulatory requirements were breached.

Keter’s warning places renewed focus on the need to keep construction zones separate from public and commercial activities. His remarks also highlight the importance of enforcing safety requirements throughout a project, rather than addressing violations only after an accident.

As rescue operations continue, the incident has intensified calls for accountability from developers and stronger oversight by the relevant authorities to prevent similar tragedies.

The immediate priority remains locating anyone who may still be trapped, accounting for those reported missing, and supporting families awaiting information about their loved ones.