Survivors and eyewitnesses on Friday recounted the final minutes before disaster struck leading to the collapse of a multi-storey building in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
The afternoon incident brought business to a standstill along the busy Yusuf Haji Avenue on 9th Street as residents, traders and passers-by gathered near the scene.
The building was reportedly partially occupied, with shops and rental units operating on the lower floors despite ongoing construction work.
A construction worker who was inside the building when it collapsed said workers had noticed cracks in one of the columns, prompting them to flee moments before the structure came down.
Eastleigh building collapse: Witness recounts moments before 13 storey structure crumbled
“We saw that one of the columns had cracks and we decided to run outside to save ourselves and within minutes the building collapsed,” said Alexander Kidida, one of the survivors.
He said tens of people had been working on the building, although neither the Daily Nation nor the police had confirmed the number.
By Friday evening, the workers were yet to conduct a head count to establish how many had managed to escape.
This even as authorities dug through the rubble to rescue survivors or, in the worst-case scenario, retrieve bodies.
According to Mr Kidida, some of their colleagues were in the basement and had yet to be found. He added that they had felt the building shaking while they were working, prompting them to run outside.
A shaken and dust-covered Joseph Kaula, who was working on the fifth floor, said screams from people outside alerted him to the danger.
“At first, I thought it was some people fighting outside as has been the case in the past. I decided to go and check what was happening but as I was walking out, I heard the building shaking and I was forced to jump. I was among the last people to get out. God is great,” he said.
Jacob Obiero, an eyewitness, said he was near the building when it collapsed and that two of his friends who were working inside could not be reached.
Emergency personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi on October 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
“I’m a tailor and I had just delivered some clothes to a customer near here. As I was walking, just a few meters from the building, I saw it coming down. Two of my friends work in the building and we cannot reach them, both their phones are off,” he said.
Another witness said it was fortunate that the building collapsed during Dhuhr, the Muslim midday prayer.
“It is luck that many shops were closed at the time as the majority of the people had closed their business and gone for prayers. The area was not as busy as it is during the morning or afternoon hours,” he said.
According to Nairobi police boss Issa Mohammud, as of 5:30pm, one person had been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital, while a woman who had earlier been calling for help had since gone quiet, leaving her fate unknown.
Mr Mohammud added that more police officers had been deployed to the scene to help coordinate emergency response teams and support rescue efforts.
Mr Mohammud said police were forced to lob tear gas to disperse curious onlookers, clear the way for rescuers and prevent looting at nearby shops.
This was after a crowd surged towards the site, blocking access roads, while some people pelted stones, making it difficult for rescue teams and emergency vehicles to reach the building and coordinate rescue efforts.
Onlookers and rescue teams led by the Disaster Response Unit at the site of building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi on October 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“Emergency crews are on site as efforts continue to search for survivors,” he told the Daily Nation.
Kenya Red Cross response teams deployed to the scene urged members of the public to keep away to allow emergency teams to work.
“We urge the public to keep clear of the area to allow emergency teams to work safely,” the Kenya Red Cross said.
“Machinery has been deployed to support debris removal and facilitate access to potential victims. The Relief Officer has been notified, and efforts to mobilise additional resources are ongoing,” a statement from the county government said.
“Our focus right now is to save lives. We are clearing the debris and have mobilised excavators, breakers and sniffer dogs as we work with multiple agencies to begin rescue operations. We are also creating space to allow oxygen to reach those communicating from inside the building,” Mr Sakaja said.
“There was one woman that was calling out for help from the rubble, but has now gone quiet. We are clearing space to reach them and carry out the rescue,” he said.
Rescue teams led by Distater Response Unit clear rubble at the site of a building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi on October 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
According to an update issued by Nairobi City County, the building was under construction when it collapsed, although the ground floor was already occupied.
Governor Sakaja said machinery had been deployed to help remove debris and create access routes for responders searching for possible victims. The county Relief Officer had also been notified, with efforts underway to mobilise additional resources to support the rescue operation.
Mr Sakaja also said the building did not comply with construction guidelines and vowed that legal action would be taken against the owner.
Movement along 9th Street and First Avenue slowed significantly as residents, traders and passers-by rushed towards the site to establish what had happened and whether anyone had been rescued.
The incident disrupted activity in the busy commercial neighbourhood, with police attempting to control the crowds and keep access routes clear for emergency vehicles.
The number of people who may have been trapped, the full casualty toll and the cause of the collapse had not been established by the time of the county’s initial update.
Mr Sakaja’s pledge to pursue legal action is likely to intensify scrutiny of construction approvals and the enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi.
