A Building Under Construction Collapses in Nairobi, Leaving an Unknown Number of People Trapped

Members of The Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) gather at the site of a 16-storey building under construction that collapsed, as search and rescue operations begin with possible casualties still unconfirmed, in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, on January 2, 2026. (AFP)

A multi-story building under construction in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, collapsed Friday, leaving an unknown number of people trapped.

Rescue workers are digging through the rubble. The building was in an area of Nairobi known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross, and local media say it was a 16-story structure.

“A multi-agency response team is on site managing the situation,” the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from authorities on the likely cause of the collapse or the number of victims. The toll is not expected to be high, The Associated Press said.

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations or simply violate building codes.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, the presidency ordered an audit of buildings across the country to see if they were up to code. The National Construction Authority found that 58% of the buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.