South C residents demand accountability after building collapses

Disaster response teams carry out search and rescue operations at the site where a multi-storey building collapsed on January 2, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Residents of Nairobi’s South C estate have called for the arrest and prosecution of the owners, developers and workers linked to a multi-storey building that collapsed in the neighbourhood early Friday.

In a statement date January 2, 2026, the South C Residents Association accused the Nairobi County government of ignoring repeated safety concerns, despite formal complaints over alleged violations of regulations, including the Physical and Land Use Planning Act.

“This incident, tragic as it is, was foreseeable and preventable,” said Abdulmalik Gichuki, South C Residents Association chairperson. 

Two security guards who were manning the building are among those feared dead, believed to be trapped beneath the rubble after the structure collapsed in the early hours of the morning.

National Disaster Management director William Sifuna briefs media on South C building collapse rescue efforts

Video by Benard Orwongo pic.twitter.com/HBmgfbnbG8

— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) January 2, 2026

The residents have demanded that the area be declared an investigation zone and called for a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the collapse. They also gave the government one week to publish all approvals and compliance records related to the building.

“The residents of South C are not opposed to development. We are opposed to unlawful, unsafe, and unaccountable development that places human life at risk,” said Gichuki.
He added: “No more warnings. No more ignored letters. No more preventable tragedies.”

The incident has reignited criticism over the rapid rise of high-rise construction across Nairobi, amid questions about compliance with zoning, density and height regulations.

Disaster response teams carry out search and rescue operations at the site where a multi-storey building collapsed on January 2, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Inspectors and site supervisors have also faced allegations of corruption, with claims that junior construction workers are arrested when violations are flagged, only to be released without charge.

Nairobi County Government has however denied claims of lax enforcement of the said regulations stating that it had raised safety concerns with the developer of the building on multiple occasions including last month.

“It is worth noting that the site has been subject to enforcement action by NCCG on varying dates in May, July and December 2025 over a number of infractions,” said southern borough manager Dabasso Wario. 

Authorities have cordoned off the area to allow teams from the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi County, the National Police Service, the Kenya Defence Forces and the Kenya Red Cross to conduct search and rescue operations.

Bulldozers and police sniffer dogs were deployed to aid the effort.

Police sniffer dogs aid search and rescue operations at the site where a multi-storey building collapsed on January 2, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Residents of neighbouring buildings were ordered to vacate, and the rescue operation temporarily stopped amid fears that a nearby structure could also collapse due to the impact of the fallen building.