Two people lost their lives on Saturday, January 10, after a building under construction collapsed in Karen, Nairobi.
Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Patrick Mbogo, said emergency teams were dispatched to the scene immediately after the incident was reported.
He noted that seven people were rescued with injuries and rushed to hospital for treatment, while two others died from severe crush injuries and were taken to the Nairobi Funeral Home.
2 killed After Building Under Construction Collapses in Karen. Photo: Courtesy.
The rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Unit and the Kenya Red Cross.
Mbogo revealed that preliminary investigations indicate the building collapsed due to structural failure caused by poor workmanship.
He added that substandard materials were used during construction, noting that timber gum tree supports were installed instead of proper steel props to support the double-volume slab.
The Nairobi CECM further disclosed that the county government approved the building’s architectural plans on November 14, 2024, followed by the approval of structural plans on November 27, 2024.
At the time of the incident, which occurred at around 5pm on Saturday, the building had reached the first-floor level when the slab gave way.
The incident comes just days after another multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi’s South C area.
Southern Borough Manager Dabasso Wario noted that emergency and rescue teams were swiftly dispatched to the scene, with preliminary assessments pointing to a serious structural failure.
