Another Building Collapses in Nairobi, Leaving Six Workers Dead and One Missing

A building collapse along the Syokimau SGR access road that left six workers dead has intensified pressure on authorities to crack down on enforcement failures in Nairobi’s construction sector.

The Friday morning incident occurred at about 9:52 AM near the Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Terminus. Preliminary police reports indicate that the structure gave way during concreting works on the ninth floor following a failure of the formwork.

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management Bramwell Simiyu confirmed that six middle-aged men lost their lives in the disaster. Three bodies were recovered during initial morning operations, and three more were retrieved later from the debris.

Five other workers were pulled alive from the rubble and rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency medical care. The Kenya Red Cross reported that its response teams were working alongside other emergency partners at the scene, with search operations continuing for one person still reported missing.

Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud stated that emergency responders, including the Nairobi City County Fire Team and the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team, were actively combing through the rubble. Authorities urged motorists and the public using Mombasa Road near the SGR terminus to stay away from the perimeter to keep rescue paths clear.

The tragedy comes weeks after an 18-storey building collapsed along 9th Street in Nairobi's Eastleigh area on October 23, killing eight people and leaving four others rescued alive. That earlier collapse drew intense scrutiny from multiple government agencies, prompting detectives to question developers alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate, and the National Construction Authority.

Following the Eastleigh disaster, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe possible negligence, omissions, or misconduct by public officials, developers, and construction professionals. However, the prosecution agency noted that the Nairobi City County Government had not previously forwarded any inquiry file regarding malpractices linked to the project.

The DCI is expected to submit its completed inquiry file to the ODPP for an independent review. The prosecution agency said that legal action would be taken against anyone found criminally culpable, regardless of their official status.