Collapse Of A 16-Story Building In Nairobi

The South C Residents Association (SouCRA) is calling for urgent action following the collapse of a 16-story building under construction in South C. The incident highlights shortcomings in building oversight. In a statement, the association said it has repeatedly raised concerns about building permits and their enforcement in South C. Abdulmalik Gichuki, the association's chairman and an architect, explained that the issues raised included permits for construction projects that may not comply with applicable zoning, density, and height regulations, as well as violations of building lines, planning standards, and building codes. This tragic incident was foreseeable. The association also expressed concerns about enforcement practices. It noted that site managers and workers are sometimes arrested, while developers, financiers, and consultants largely go unpunished. The statement highlighted cases where court cases resulted in the release of construction workers, while higher-level decision-makers were not prosecuted. There is no comprehensive official statistic from the National Construction Authority (NCA) or other authorities tallying the exact number of building collapses in Kenya specifically for 2022–2026. Building collapses are recurrent in Kenya, particularly in Nairobi and surrounding areas like Kiambu County, often due to poor workmanship, substandard materials, non-compliance with building codes, and inadequate enforcement. However, news reports and analyzes document several notable incidents during this period. There was an incident in 2022. Multiple collapses reported, including at least three in Nairobi within a single week in November, plus others in areas like Ruiru (Kiambu), Kinoo (Kiambu), and Kirigiti (Kiambu, where one killed 5 people). Reports from late 2022 described a "spike" in incidents, with at least 4–7 documented in media that year. And in 2023, a 10-storey building under construction collapsed in Zimmerman/Roysambu (Nairobi) in September, with no casualties but damage to nearby structures. It continues in 2024, an 8-storey condemned residential building collapsed in Kahawa West (Nairobi) in October. In 2025 where no major collapses widely reported in available sources up to late 2025, although enforcement actions (e.g., citations) were issued on some sites that later failed. In 2026 the first incident already reported, a16-storey building under construction collapsed in South C (Nairobi) on January 2, with people feared trapped (rescue operations ongoing as of early January). In total, at least 8–12 significant building collapses are documented in media reports from 2022 to early 2026, concentrated mostly in 2022. Minor or unreported incidents may exist, as collapses (especially of smaller structures) are not always nationally covered. For context, pre-2022 data shows declines from highs like 21 collapses in 2015 to lows around 2019, followed by rises again in the early 2020s. These incidents highlight ongoing issues with construction regulation in rapidly urbanizing areas like Nairobi.