Building Collapse in Kibera Leaves Several Trapped and Injured

A building under construction collapsed in the Highrise area of Kibera, Nairobi, on Wednesday afternoon, leaving multiple people trapped and injured.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident occurred at around 2 pm, prompting an immediate rescue operation. By late afternoon, four individuals had been extracted from the debris and taken to Mbagathi Hospital for treatment, while the number of remaining victims is still unknown.

Rescue teams, supported by the Kenya Red Cross, are continuing to search through the wreckage as residents gather near the site. The agency reported: “A building collapse has been reported in the high-rise area of Kibera. Emergency response teams are currently on site conducting search and rescue operations.” Officials have not yet confirmed how many people were inside the structure at the time of the collapse.

This incident adds to a growing pattern of building failures in Nairobi. On 19 March, a 22-storey tower under construction in Westlands collapsed, killing one worker and injuring several others. In January, a 16-storey building in South C also collapsed, resulting in two deaths.

Engineering experts have attributed these collapses to systemic issues in construction and oversight. Harrison Keter, Vice President of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya, said that while some engineers may be at fault, most cases involve developers cutting corners and regulators failing to enforce safety standards.