Public Health Officers Ordered to Flag Dangerous Buildings After Eastleigh Collapse

After a building under construction collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh district on October 23, Kenya’s Ministry of Health directed public health officers to identify and promptly report hazards at construction sites. Seven people were reported missing and feared trapped beneath the rubble early on October 24, as authorities activated emergency protocols and established a 24-hour coordination desk. Medical teams and the Kenya Red Cross are supporting rescue efforts and relatives, while the ministry urged the public to keep away and untrained people not to intervene. Governor Johnson Sakaja said the property received change-of-use approval in 2024, but the county had not approved the developer’s plan for a 15-storey building with a basement.