A building has collapsed in the high-rise area of Kibera, Nairobi. Emergency teams, including police officers, firefighters, and medical responders, were deployed to the scene shortly after the incident.
According to a statement by the Kenya Red Cross, rescue crews have been working through the debris in Highrise as efforts continued to locate and save anyone who may be trapped beneath the rubble.
Red Cross has stated that the number of people affected remains unclear, but an unconfirmed number of individuals are feared to be trapped inside the collapsed structure. Residents in the area reported hearing a loud noise moments before the building collapsed.
“A building collapse has been reported in the Highrise area of Kibera. Emergency response teams are currently on site conducting search-and-rescue operations. An unknown number of individuals are feared to be trapped beneath the debris,” the statement read.
Also Read: Confirmed: People Trapped After Westlands Building Collapsed at Night
Highrise Added to a Growing Pattern of Collapsing Buildings in Nairobi
On January 2, a multi-story building under construction along Muhoho Avenue in South C collapsed suddenly, with witnesses describing it as falling straight down.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that several emergency teams were sent to the scene after people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Families gathered nearby as rescue efforts went on, with one woman, Safia Ali Aden, pleading with authorities to move quickly to save her brother, who was buried in the rubble.
Later investigations suggested the building may have had extra floors added without approval and that shortcuts were taken during construction.
In March, a planned demolition in Shauri Moyo went wrong, causing a building to collapse unexpectedly, and at least four people were killed, and others were injured.
This happened near buildings marked for removal under the Nairobi River Regeneration Project.
During the same month, part of a 22-story building under construction in Westlands also collapsed, trapping workers.
Concerns Over Approvals and Supervision
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has previously blamed some of these collapses on weak approvals by county authorities.
She warned that architects, developers, and public officers involved would be held responsible once investigations are completed.
Wahome described some approvals as cases of serious negligence, saying oversight failures play a major role in allowing unsafe buildings to be built.
The Architectural Association of Kenya has also raised concerns about poor compliance with construction regulations, citing weak supervision and enforcement.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said that registered developers sign agreements committing to quality and safety standards.
However, residents living near past collapse sites say that warning signs, such as visible cracks, were ignored for long periods.
