A building that formerly housed Club Avenida collapsed during demolition along Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on Friday night, October 16, leaving four people injured.
The structure, near MKU Union Towers, collapsed as demolition work was underway, prompting an emergency response involving police and rescue teams.
According to a preliminary report from Nairobi County, official Geoffrey Mosiria said four people were injured in the collapse.
Three were in stable condition, while one sustained critical injuries.
“Tonight, along Moi Avenue in the CBD, a building that formerly housed Club Avenida collapsed during demolition, injuring four people. We thank God the incident happened at night when there was minimal human traffic along the road, as lives could have been lost,” Mosiria noted on October 17.
Rescue Teams Respond to Nairobi Building Collapse
Police and emergency teams rushed to the scene following the collapse to assist the injured and assess the situation.
Reporting on the incident, a witness at the scene clarified that during the collapse of the building, no residents were present in the area.
One of the individuals who was working on demolishing the structure stated that the building likely collapsed due to structural weakness in the building.
“They were demolishing slowly; when they came to the other side and started cutting the construction steel, the building collapsed because the pavement was weak and the building had no collapse. However they were no residents during the incident,” the worker confirmed.
The building premises had been fenced off in August in preparation for redevelopment.
Also Read: Eight Casualties As Building Collapses in Kisumu
Public Questions over Demolition Approvals
The Nairobi CBD building collapse has prompted calls for a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the demolition.
County engineers have been urged to determine what caused the building to give way, and whether qualified experts supervised the work.
Others are also demanding answers on whether all required demolition permits and approvals were obtained.
Some members of the public have emphasized that developers and contractors must comply with county regulations, obtain the necessary approvals, and engage qualified professionals to oversee technically demanding work.
In addition, the public have called for proper site security, structural assessments, and controlled demolition methods, which are also essential to reducing the risk of accidents.
Also Read: Several People Trapped After Five-Storey Building Collapses
Previous Cases of Building Collapses in Nairobi
Nairobi has witnessed a series of building collapses in 2026, putting construction safety, regulatory compliance and enforcement under renewed scrutiny.
On January 2, a 14-storey building under construction in South C collapsed, killing two security guards.
The National Construction Authority announced a formal inquiry into the incident and plans for a broader compliance audit of buildings.
According to the authority, the approved structural design provided for 12 storeys.
In a separate incident, a building under construction along Kirinyaga Road near the OTC area collapsed during foundation works on February 11, injuring six workers.
Preliminary findings from the Association of Engineering, Construction and Architecture Students at the Technical University of Kenya pointed to the removal of soil near a boundary wall without adequate temporary support, with traffic-related pressure also identified as a possible contributing factor.
On March 16, a demolition operation in Shauri Moyo, linked to the Nairobi River Regeneration Project, ended in tragedy, leaving at least four people dead and four others injured.
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