Sniffer dogs, KDF join search for people trapped in Eastleigh building

Rescuers have established communication with people trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, as emergency teams race to reach them using heavy machinery and other specialised equipment, Governor Johnson Sakaja has said.

Sakaja said Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel, sniffer dogs and other emergency responders had joined the operation, with teams working to remove heavy debris and create access points to reach those believed to be inside the building.

The governor said the immediate focus was to save lives, explaining that excavators and breakers had been deployed to remove large pieces of rubble that could obstruct access to the affected sections.

“Right now, it's for us to save lives, and so we're clearing the debris. Equipment has already been mobilised, excavators and breakers, so that we can be able to remove the big boulders,” he said.

The rescue mission involves several agencies, including the KDF, the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC), the Nairobi County Government and the Kenya Red Cross. Health workers have also been placed on standby as efforts continue at the scene.

Sakaja said rescuers were taking steps to open spaces within the debris to allow oxygen to reach those trapped inside, while assessing the extent of the obstruction and determining how best to proceed.

“The people who've been communicating from inside, they've been talking. Of course, we are opening up a space so that there's oxygen, and then we can get the proper estimates of what else needs to be done,” he said.

He appealed to members of the public gathered at the scene to keep their distance and allow emergency personnel to work without interference.

The governor said the county was seeking to clear the rubble as quickly as possible, while ensuring rescue teams could reach the affected areas and determine what further assistance was required.

Beyond the rescue operation, Sakaja called for counties to be given back prosecutorial powers to deal with offences involving breaches of building regulations.

He argued that the fines imposed for some construction-related violations were too low to discourage developers from ignoring the law, citing penalties of as little as Sh5,000.

The governor also raised concerns about the building's approval status, saying it did not have an occupation certificate. He added that there were no temporary occupation certificates for those on the ground floor.

Sakaja warned that violations of building regulations could have serious consequences, expressing hope that the ongoing rescue operation would end without loss of life.

“This has cost lives, you know, potentially. We hope that there's no life lost, we pray,” he said.

The cause of the building collapse had not been established as rescue teams continued working through the rubble on October 23, 2026.