Public pressure is growing over the stalled probe into the South C building that fell on January 2, 2026, with many Kenyans saying authorities have yet to share any progress even after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions directed police to file a report within seven days.
Online discussions have been filled with calls for clear updates on whether anyone linked to the project has faced action. Many users are asking if professionals involved in the design, approval, and construction have been held to account.
Former Chairman of the Association of Construction Managers of Kenya Nashon Okowa led the demand for openness, questioning why the ODPP has not issued a public update after the deadline passed.
“ODPP, the 7-day period you gave for finalisation of the South C building collapse investigation lapsed on 11th January 26. You ought to update the country on the status. We cannot just keep issuing statements when buildings collapse, then retreat and wait for the next one,” he wrote on X.
Other social media users echoed the concern, urging agencies to state the current position of the inquiry. X user Realtor Orora questioned, “ODPP, what’s the status of this matter? DCI, where are we with the investigations? Engineers Board Kenya, has action been taken against any of the professionals?”
Another user commented, “Probably until another one collapses. Haven’t Kenyans seen another gas explosion in Donholm?”
The ODPP, in a statement dated January 4, 2026, had instructed the Inspector General of Police to immediately begin and fast-track investigations into the collapse of the 16-storey building in South C, Nairobi, and submit a full report within seven days.
The directive required investigators to record statements from the developer, contractor, and all officials involved in approvals, inspections, and enforcement, with the findings to be forwarded to the ODPP for possible action.
Early details showed the structure, owned by Yussuf Mohamed Yussuf of Abyan Consulting Limited, had approval for only 12 floors but had already risen to between 14 and 16 floors when it came down. Preliminary findings pointed to serious negligence and disregard for lawful construction orders.
Speaking while inspecting the site, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said, “According to approval documents which we have, this building was supposed to go for 12 floors, but it is reported it was already at the 14th floor. Therefore, at the preliminary investigations, it is expected that the building has collapsed because of column overload.”
He added that Nairobi City County had issued a stop order in August 2025 that was not followed.
“The information we have is that the extra two floors were not approved, and that is why on August 11 2025, there was a stop order issued by Nairobi County Government to stop the building,” Ruku said.
The CS placed blame on the contractor, supervising engineers, the building owners, and the architect behind the design, noting that authorities already have their names, contacts, and registration details.
“As the government, we will go into the details of the negligence involved, what caused this collapse, and everyone who played a role will be held accountable,” he said.
Residents in South C also faulted approval agencies, including Nairobi County, saying repeated warnings about unsafe construction were not acted on. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed the project had been flagged several times and said weak enforcement allowed the violations to continue.
“This building did not collapse out of nowhere,” Sakaja said.
He added that some developers first secure approvals using qualified professionals but later replace them with cheaper and unqualified personnel.
County enforcement teams had marked the project for concern in May, July, and December 2025. The National Construction Authority also stated the site was not compliant and that Abyan Consulting Limited’s license had expired on July 31, 2024. Despite arrests and warnings, construction went on until the collapse, which left at least two people trapped under debris.
The Nairobi County Urban Planning Department also confirmed that contractors had been directed several times to stop work and resubmit plans for fresh review, yet the structure still rose to between the 14th and 16th floor before it failed.
Past building failures continue to shape public concern over accountability in the sector. A collapse in Huruma Estate in 2016 killed more than 37 people, while other incidents in Kiambu County in 2022 and along Juja Road in Eastleigh in 2024 also caused deaths.
