Nairobi police chief Issa Mohamud confirmed the Eastleigh building, a 10‑floor structure under construction, had collapsed at about 1 p.m. on Friday, leaving a jagged mound of concrete that had leaned against a neighboring rented shop. The site had never received a certificate of occupation, yet ground‑level electronics, butchery and grocery stalls had been operating illegally, a fact that the police chief said would be examined in the ensuing inquiry. Tear gas was fired to clear looters, a move that attracted criticism from residents who felt the police were prioritizing order over rescue.
Joseph Kaula, a plasterer who worked on the fifth floor, was the last to escape the wreckage. He recalled hearing screams and watching colleagues rush out as the building teetered, then describing the ground floor as a chaotic dust cloud that swallowed his phone calls. Kaula suspects several of his teammates are still trapped in the basement, a rumor that officials have yet to confirm.
Rescue teams faced a shortage of heavy machinery; the first hours were spent using tree poles to probe the rubble and a single excavator to pry concrete bound with steel. By evening, a second back‑shovel crew arrived, and paramedics had moved an injured woman to a nearby hospital. Authorities warned of a potential secondary collapse because the derailed structure was leaning on its neighbor, complicating the operation.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had been approved for construction but lacked a proper occupation certificate, making the ground‑floor shops illegal. He pledged stricter enforcement and warned that developers who flout regulations would face harsher penalties. The police chief confirmed an investigation would be launched, and a public hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday to address the failings in the permit system.