Eight Injured as Kisumu Building Tilts, Forcing Mass Evacuation

Eight people were injured after a building partially collapsed in Mamboleo, Kisumu, early Monday morning, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents as emergency teams moved in to secure the site.

The affected L-shaped building, which was still under construction, housed about 40 families.

Six of the injured were treated at the scene, while two others were in critical condition and were taken to hospital, according to the Kenya Red Cross. All residents were evacuated from the building.

The incident was reported at around 6am, when part of the structure began sinking before giving way.

Residents were forced to flee as the building became unstable.

One resident, Alex Bob, told The Star that he was asleep when rushing water entered his house, carrying a gas cylinder and forcing open his door.

He said his first attempt to leave was blocked by mud, soil and rocks. He eventually escaped after creating an opening through another part of the house.

Another resident, Rose Amondi, said she jumped from the first floor as the building began to cave in and injured her wrist and hips.

Two rescued as teams secure site

Kisumu city officials said two people who had been trapped were rescued during the emergency operation.

Fred Mariwa, the governor’s adviser on partnerships, resource mobilisation and urban development, said ambulances and rescue teams were dispatched after the emergency call was received.

“We immediately dispatched ambulances and our rescue team, who rushed to the scene,” Mariwa said.

The response involved the Kenya Red Cross, Kisumu city rescue teams, police, Kenya Power and the National Construction Authority (NCA).

Police have cordoned off the site while the remaining structure is assessed.

Authorities are concerned that the building could pose a further danger if it remains standing in its current state.

Mariwa said demolition could be recommended because one side of the L-shaped structure was still sinking.

Questions over approvals

As residents moved to safety, attention turned to how the building reached its current stage of construction.

Mariwa said officials were examining documents presented for the development to establish whether they were genuine and whether construction followed plans approved by the county government.

He also said authorities had received information that the NCA and county planning officials had previously intervened at the site.

According to Mariwa, construction may have continued despite those interventions.

The official said the building owner had not yet been located, while authorities were in contact with the caretaker.

These claims are still subject to official verification and investigation.

Cause of collapse not established

Authorities have not yet announced a definitive cause of the incident.

Mariwa said investigators were examining several aspects of the construction, including the approvals and the condition of the structure.

He noted that construction was still ongoing, with materials including sand and floor tiles reportedly at the site.

However, it would be premature to conclude that these materials caused the collapse.

The NCA assessment is expected to establish what happened and determine whether the remaining structure is safe or should be brought down.

The Engineers Board of Kenya has previously raised concerns about building failures across the country, including inadequate professional supervision and cases where developers do not engage the required engineering professionals. Such concerns provide broader context but do not establish the cause of Monday's Kisumu incident.

Residents face an uncertain return

For the families who lived in the building, the immediate concern is no longer just repairing damaged homes.

They have been evacuated from a structure whose safety remains under assessment.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that all residents had been successfully evacuated, while six injured people were treated at the scene and two were referred to hospital in critical condition.

The incident also comes less than two weeks after another building under construction collapsed in Kisii County, where emergency teams conducted a search for people who could have been trapped.

That earlier incident resulted in one confirmed death, according to reports at the time.

For Mamboleo residents, however, the priority now is clear: account for everyone affected, treat those injured and determine whether the building can safely remain standing.

The bigger questions over its construction, approvals and any previous enforcement action will have to be answered by the authorities conducting the assessment.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.