Rescue teams have pulled six survivors from the rubble of a collapsed building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has confirmed, as specialised teams and heavy machinery support the search for people still feared trapped.

The military reported the six rescues on Monday, 26 October, including two people recovered in subsequent operations and taken to Kenyatta National Hospital in stable condition.

The latest breakthrough has brought renewed hope to families waiting for news of missing relatives. But the search is unfolding alongside growing questions about the building’s construction, the approvals it received and whether safety requirements were enforced.

The multi-storey structure collapsed on Friday, 23 October, along 9th Street in Eastleigh, an area where residential buildings and busy commercial premises sit close together.

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KDF deploys specialised teams

The KDF has deployed Urban Search and Rescue teams, a Rapid Response Unit from the Kenya Air Force and canine units to support the operation.

The teams are working alongside police, the Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi County firefighters, the National Disaster Management Unit, the National Disaster Operations Centre, the Ministry of Health and St John Ambulance.

Rescuers are clearing debris and examining the wreckage for signs of people who may still be alive. Heavy equipment is being used to open access routes through the collapsed structure.

Major General William Kamoiro, the General Officer Commanding Central Command, visited the site to assess the operation and meet responders and affected families.

In its update, the KDF said the six survivors had been recovered through the joint efforts of the agencies involved. The two most recently rescued were reported to be stable before being referred to Kenyatta National Hospital for further care.

Chinese assistance brings additional equipment

Chinese involvement has also been reported at the scene, although the different forms of assistance need to be distinguished.

Kamukunji MP Yussuf Hassan said a Chinese search-and-rescue organisation, Blue Sky Rescue, had joined the operation with specialised equipment. He said the team had detected two people alive in the building’s basement, raising hopes of further rescues.

That report is a potential breakthrough, but the claim about the two people being detected alive should not be treated as a confirmed rescue until emergency authorities provide further verification.

Separately, Chinese machinery manufacturer Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) supplied an excavator and a 25-tonne crane to assist the search, according to reporting by The Eastleigh Voice. The equipment is intended to help responders move heavy debris and reach areas that would otherwise be difficult to access.

The distinction matters: reports of people detected beneath rubble, equipment being deployed and survivors actually brought out alive describe different stages of a rescue operation.

Missing-person reports remain a challenge

The number of people reported missing has changed since the collapse as authorities and humanitarian teams work to establish who was inside the building and who has since been accounted for.

The Kenya Red Cross reported 47 missing-person cases during the search, but such reports require verification. Some people initially listed as missing may have left the site or reunited with their families without the information reaching those coordinating the operation.

The changing figures make it difficult to establish a definitive count of people still trapped. Families continue to seek information as rescuers work through the debris.

Anyone looking for a missing relative has been urged to contact the Kenya Red Cross through its emergency response number, 1199, or visit the tracing desk at the scene.

Building approvals under investigation

The collapse has triggered scrutiny of the approvals and oversight surrounding the development.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said the county approved a change of use from residential to commercial-cum-residential in October 2024, but did not approve the building’s architectural plans. He has also questioned how commercial premises were operating in the building without an occupation certificate.

Those claims have yet to be resolved through a completed investigation. The cause of the collapse has not been conclusively established, and no individual or institution should be presumed responsible before the evidence is examined.

On Monday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate whether any acts or omissions by county officials, the developer, contractors or other construction professionals contributed to the disaster.

The DPP said Nairobi City County had not submitted an inquiry file concerning possible wrongdoing in the building’s construction before the directive. Investigators are expected to examine the planning, approval, supervision and construction process before the prosecution office considers whether the evidence supports criminal charges.

The investigation will be important not only in establishing what caused the building to fall, but also in determining whether warning signs were missed and whether the relevant rules were followed.

Rescue remains the immediate priority

For now, the priority remains reaching anyone who may still be trapped and supporting families waiting for news.

The KDF’s confirmation of six survivors marks progress in an operation that has required several agencies to work together amid unstable debris and difficult access.

But the rescue effort is only one part of the response. Once the search is complete, investigators will need to establish what happened to the building and whether failures in planning, construction or oversight played a role.

For Eastleigh’s residents and traders, the answers will matter well beyond the collapsed structure. They will help determine whether the systems meant to protect people in busy neighbourhoods are working as they should.