Eight Dead, Five Missing as Eastleigh Recovery Operation Nears End

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Recovery efforts at the site of the collapsed building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood have reached 95 per cent completion, with emergency teams continuing to clear debris and search for five people still reported missing, nearly two weeks after the disaster.

The Ministry of Interior said on Friday that a multi-agency team was working to complete the operation and account for everyone reported missing following the October 23 collapse.

The latest progress follows the recovery of six more bodies from the building’s basement on Thursday, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight. Four people have been rescued alive, while five others remain unaccounted for, according to officials.

Post-mortem examinations and formal identification of the recovered victims are under way at Nairobi City Mortuary. Authorities are also using DNA profiling where necessary to establish the identities of remains that cannot be immediately identified.

The collapse of the 18-storey structure, which was still under construction, triggered a major emergency response involving the National Disaster Management Unit, security agencies, the Kenya Defence Forces, Nairobi County Government and the Kenya Red Cross.

Rescue teams faced difficult conditions as they worked through tonnes of concrete and twisted metal. Reaching the basement, where some of the missing people were believed to have been trapped, marked a significant development in the operation.

Beyond the recovery effort, the disaster has raised serious questions about construction approvals, inspections and enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said the county approved a change of use for the property from residential to mixed commercial and residential purposes in October 2024, but did not approve the subsequent building plans. The National Environment Management Authority also said the developer had not obtained the required environmental impact assessment licence.

The National Construction Authority said the project was registered in July 2025 and identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer and Stromax Holdings E.A. Limited as the contractor listed in its records. However, registration with the authority does not in itself establish that all county and environmental approvals had been secured.

The approval history has become a subject of public scrutiny, with conflicting accounts and questions about how construction continued despite the concerns raised by county authorities. Investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and whether any developers, contractors, professionals or public officials bear responsibility.

The disaster has renewed concerns over building safety in Nairobi, where rapid urban development and pressure for commercial and residential space have increased the importance of effective planning, inspection and enforcement.