Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has questioned the release of suspects arrested over the Eastleigh building that collapsed on Friday, demanding an explanation from Kamukunji Police Station over their alleged release on a cash bail of Sh50,000 without being presented in court.
Mr Sakaja said the county had taken enforcement action after establishing that officials had approved a change of user for the property but had not approved the architectural plans required to authorise construction.
County officers arrested those involved and handed them over to Kamukunji Police Station, only for some to be released on cash bail, he said.
Rescue personnel from the Kenya National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) and emergency response teams search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on October 23, 2026, as rescue operations continue to locate victims trapped beneath the debris.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
“We enforced the law and arrested those involved. However, because we do not have prosecutorial powers, the suspects were handed over to Kamukunji Police Station. They were reportedly released on a cash bail of Sh50,000 without being taken to court,” Mr Sakaja said.
“We want the police to explain why the suspects were released without being presented in court and why construction was allowed to continue.”
The police occurrence book at Kamukunji Police Station shows that 14 suspects were booked into custody on June 17, 2026, over alleged contraventions of city planning laws. The entry, OB No. 98/17/06/2026, identifies the suspects as having been handed over by county officers.
A separate police record indicates that 10 suspects were subsequently released on cash bail of Sh50,000 at 9.44pm on the instructions of the Officer Commanding Station. The difference between the number booked and those listed in the release entry raises questions about the status of the remaining suspects.
A county enforcement notice issued in June 2025 over alleged construction without development permission cited the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, and county by-laws. It directed the recipient to stop work and remove the development described as illegal, warning that the county could undertake the action and recover the costs if the directives were ignored.
Mr Sakaja said counties needed the capacity to prosecute offences arising from their enforcement operations, arguing that the current arrangement left them dependent on other agencies after making arrests.
“If the building had been approved for construction, I would have named the officers who approved it so that action could be taken against them,” he said.
The collapse has renewed scrutiny of developers, construction professionals and public officials responsible for ensuring buildings comply with approved plans and safety requirements.
Emergency personnel work at the site of a building collapse in Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya, October 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Meanwhile, families of those trapped beneath the rubble continued to wait anxiously as the search-and-rescue operation approached the 72-hour mark, often considered a critical window for finding survivors.
Dina Mueni has remained at the scene since Friday, hoping her 41-year-old sister, Eunice Mwikali, a tailor, will be found alive.
The sisters last spoke on the phone earlier in the week, discussing ordinary family matters. Eunice had worked as a tailor for only a month, but the building had become her workplace.
“Kama anaweza kupatikana, nitashukuru sana (If she can be rescued, I will be so grateful),” Dina said.
“It is not easy to look for someone when you’re not sure they’re alive or dead,” she added.
As the eldest in the family, Dina has stayed at the site, holding on to the hope that her sister will emerge from the debris.
Eastleigh building collapse: Witness recounts moments before 13 storey structure crumbled
By Sunday noon, 47 families had reported relatives missing, according to the multi-agency team coordinating the response. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said nine families had since been reunited with their relatives.
At a Kenya Red Cross tent set aside for families of the missing, relatives waited quietly for updates, many staring towards the wreckage and praying for a miracle.
For some, the survival of Victor Onyango offered hope. The tailor was working when the building collapsed on Friday. Trapped beside a pillar, he clung to it until rescuers found him on Saturday.
“I’m so grateful to God,” he said on Sunday, displaying bruises on his torso and arms.
Rescue personnel from the Kenya National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) and emergency response teams search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on October 23, 2026, as rescue operations continue to locate victims trapped beneath the debris.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
Onyango had three tailoring machines in the building’s basement. Although he survived, his equipment and livelihood remained buried beneath the rubble.
While grateful to be alive, he said his future remained uncertain as families continued waiting for news of their loved ones.
But the wait continues, with no certainty about who might still be alive beneath the debris.
Family members who have reported their person missing find themselves in this fate. For some, on top of the long wait, it has also meant long travels.
Reverend Aluta Thomas, 61, says the search for her missing sister has meant travelling about 400 kilometres from Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, to Nairobi.
Her sister, 40-year-old Rose Chepkoech, is among those feared trapped inside the building.
Julius Mwanzia, 23, was working on the 14th floor of the building when it caved in. He survived by jumping from the top floor downwards.
