Police are under pressure to explain the whereabouts of the people behind the October 23 collapse of a building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh, with eight bodies recovered, four people rescued alive and three others still missing after authorities called off the 15-day search operation.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is yet to publicly provide a comprehensive account of its investigations into the tragedy, including whether all the individuals listed as property owners, developers and contractors have been traced and questioned.
The police had announced a manhunt for the building’s owner and contractor shortly after the 18-storey structure came crashing down along 9th Street, raising questions about who authorised the project and who was responsible for its construction.
The latest developments have exposed a complicated web of ownership and construction arrangements involving a family estate, a private development company and a contractor whose director has disowned the actual construction work.
An aerial view of the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi as excavators clear debris on October 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
The National Construction Authority (NCA) identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer registered for the project, while Stromax Holdings EA Limited was listed as the contractor.
A search of company records by the Nation established that Mohamed Khatar Ali Noor, Abdikadir Abdi Sheikh and Abdifatah Ali Noor own 9th Street Plaza Limited, with Mr Mohamed Khatar Ali Noor holding the majority shares.
The property’s ownership arrangements are equally complicated. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja previously said the land belonged to the estate of the late Wilson Mutia Musyoki, with John Mutia Musyoki identified as the developer in county records.
Excavators clear rubble during operations at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on October 31, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
The relationship between the landowners, the registered developer and the people who actually controlled the construction is now central to the investigations.
Police need to establish whether the shareholders have all recorded statements, whether the landowners have presented themselves to investigators and whether anyone has been formally charged.
The director of Stromax Holdings reportedly told police that his brother had asked to use the company’s details to secure National Construction Authority approvals. His brother, however, reportedly gave detectives a different account, saying he had been engaged by the company as a labour contractor to oversee structural works, including masonry and steel fixing.
The matter has also taken a political dimension, with fresh revelations before the Nairobi County Assembly’s Planning Committee.
Rescue teams led by Distater Response Unit work at the site of a building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi on October 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
During a November 6 appearance, county officials admitted that political interference had affected the Urban Planning department, with some officials claiming that powerful individuals within the governor’s office had taken over functions relating to building approvals.
Acting Director of Compliance Tom Achar acknowledged that there had been political interference in the department.
He also told the committee that the Eastleigh project had been flagged and two enforcement notices issued, but questions remained over how construction continued.
The developer and contractor failed to appear before the committee, prompting members to indicate that they would be summoned again.
The revelations have raised further questions about the county’s enforcement mechanisms and whether officials responsible for monitoring construction were able to act independently.
The Director of Public Prosecutions had earlier directed the DCI to investigate possible acts or omissions by Nairobi County officials, the developer, contractors and other professionals involved.
Investigators are expected to establish whether the building had the necessary approvals, whether construction followed the approved plans and whether the professionals involved discharged their statutory responsibilities.
Governor Sakaja has maintained that although the county approved a change of user from residential to mixed residential and commercial use in October 2024, it did not approve the architectural and building plans for the high-rise development.
Nairobi City County Governor Johnson Sakaja appears before the Senate Roads, Transportation and Housing Committee, chaired by Senator Hamida Kibwana, at Bunge Tower in Nairobi on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation
Meanwhile, the conclusion of the rescue operation has shifted attention to the families still searching for answers.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said multi-agency teams had accessed all the basement compartments and exhausted the available search areas.
The eight bodies recovered comprised six women and two men. DNA testing and post-mortem examinations will be conducted at Nairobi Funeral Home.
The three people initially reported missing will now be treated as missing persons, with the National Police Service taking over the follow-up with their families.
