One body recovered from collapsed South C building; one still missing
Emergency Rescue teams have this afternoon retreaved one body from the rubble of the collapsed 16-storey building in South C, Nairobi.
Emergency Rescue teams have this afternoon retreaved one body from the rubble of the collapsed 16-storey building in South C, Nairobi.
The exercise entred its third day today with the body being retrieved at around 1:30pm from the debris of the building, which collapsed in the early hours of Friday morning in the South C Shopping Centre area.
Meanwhile officials at the scene said efforts are ongoing to locate a second person believed to be trapped.
The multi-agency team comprising the Nairobi County Government, the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), the Kenya Red Cross, police and other emergency responders has been working round the clock since the incident.
Speaking earlier on Sunday, operations commander Assistant Inspector General of Police Dr Duncan Ochieng said the rescue mission was about 65 per cent complete.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing. Police confirmed that several individuals, including the developer and county officials, have already been questioned. Authorities said the developer claimed the building had been sold to prospective buyers.
Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the collapse occurred at approximately 4:05am on January 2, 2026. He noted that a coordinated emergency response was activated immediately under the leadership of the NDMU.
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According to the CS, NDMU Director Ochieng is serving as the Incident Commander, with a fully operational Incident Command System in place to guide rescue efforts.
“The incident management team is working day and night, deploying specialised equipment and urban search and rescue techniques, while maximising the critical rescue window,” Ruku said.
He added that the government’s response is focused on ensuring the safety of first responders and the public, rescuing any trapped victims, reopening blocked roads around South C Shopping Centre, and clearing debris once rescue operations are concluded.
Ruku cautioned against speculation, clarifying that the structure was a 16-storey building with basement parking that suffered a complete pancake-style collapse. He said the cause of the incident has not yet been established.
A multi-sectoral investigative team has been constituted, bringing together the National Police Service, National Construction Authority, National Building Inspectorate, Engineers Board of Kenya, BORAQS, NEMA and the Nairobi City County Government.
“Any individual found culpable will be held fully accountable in accordance with the law,” Ruku said.
The CS also praised emergency responders from the National Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces Disaster Response Battalion, Nairobi County, National Youth Service, Kenya Red Cross and St John Ambulance for operating under hazardous conditions to save lives.
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