The Eastleigh building collapse happened on Friday afternoon, when an unfinished tower at 1st Avenue and 9th Street in Nairobi came down. Outlets disagree on how tall it was, with reports ranging from 12 to 18 storeys. Underneath, eleven shops were open for business.
Eastleigh is one of Nairobi’s busiest commercial districts, a neighbourhood that runs on foot traffic, trade and long days. By Saturday night, rescuers were still digging through the concrete.
Video of the moment it came down, shared on X.
Eastleigh building collapse, the numbers
- Rescued: At least two people have been pulled out alive. A man was freed after about 27 hours under the rubble, and a woman followed on Saturday evening. Eastleigh Voice’s live blog reported a third survivor late on Saturday, though not every outlet has confirmed it.
- Missing: Officials say seven. The Kenya Red Cross has logged 31 missing-person reports and is checking each one. Two of those people have already been reunited with their families.
- Dead: None confirmed as of Saturday night.
- Workers: 67 construction workers were on site. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said 66 got out unhurt and one was injured but stable.
- The basement: A labourer told reporters that 70 or more people, including workers and food sellers, may have been in the basement. That figure has not been verified, and the true number trapped is still unknown.
Early reports on X put the building at 12 storeys, which is why the height still varies.
What is happening now
Police, the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Youth Service, the Kenya Red Cross, firefighters and Nairobi county teams are all on site. Rescuers are using sniffer dogs, thermal sensors, excavators and breakers, and have drilled toward the basement. They have heard people communicating from inside the rubble. At one point they stopped the excavators after trapped people said the digging was affecting their oxygen, then started again. Police fired tear gas at one stage to push back crowds blocking emergency access.
The Red Cross has set up a disaster operations centre with psychosocial support. Families looking for relatives can go to the desk at the scene or call 1199.
Videos from Instagram. The first shows the building shortly before it collapsed, and the second is a survivor’s account.
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The questions
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had a county approval certificate but no occupation certificate. He asked how it was being used while still under construction, and suggested no qualified professional was on site. The government spokesperson said building plans were submitted but not approved, and raised suspicions that documents given to the National Construction Authority may have been forged. The registered owner is reportedly dead, and the family entered a joint venture. Police have launched a manhunt for the current owner and the contractor.
The cause is not known. Officials have asked people not to draw conclusions before the investigation is done. Kenyans, and politicians, are already asking the same thing.
Has this happened before?
Yes, and not long ago.
- Huruma, April 2016. The deadliest in Nairobi’s recent history, with 51 or 52 people dead depending on the source. It was built on riparian land, right on the riverbank, without the required environmental approvals. The owner had been warned about cracks and covered them with cement. The landlord was later jailed for seven years.
- After 2015. A National Construction Authority audit, reported by AP, found 58% of Nairobi’s buildings unfit for habitation.
- Kahawa West, October 2024. A multi-storey building collapsed days after the county told tenants to vacate within 14 days.
- South C, 2 January 2026. A 16-storey building under construction fell at about 4:30am on Muhoho Avenue. The National Construction Authority said it was non-compliant, and prosecutors approved charges in June.
- Kibera, 8 April 2026. A building under construction fell and at least three people died.
That makes three collapses of buildings under construction in Nairobi this year alone, in a city with huge demand for space and some developers who skip the rules. Sakaja pointed out that fines for building violations can be as low as KSh5,000 (about $38), and called that no deterrent. He wants the county to get its prosecution powers back.
The KSh5,000 fine has also drawn anger online. Here is one Kenyan creator’s take.
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Each time, the pattern is the same. Approvals can be signed, professionals swapped out, shops opened early, and the first people to learn something is wrong are the ones standing under it.
Figures are as of Saturday night, 24 October 2026, and may have changed. We will update as it develops.
