Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga has ordered a fresh round of investigations into the deadly collapse of a 16-storey building in Nairobi’s South C area, directing police to record statements from the developer, contractor and all officials involved in approving and inspecting the project.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Office of the DPP said Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja had been instructed to ensure that investigators take statements from “all relevant persons,” including those responsible for construction approvals, inspections and enforcement, and submit the investigation file to his office within seven days.
The directive follows the tragic incident on January 2, 2026, when the high-rise building collapsed in what authorities have described as a pancake-type failure, trapping several people under tonnes of debris.
Ingonga said he had taken note “with the greatest of concerns” reports circulating in both mainstream and social media regarding the collapse, which initially left two people trapped in the rubble.
He expressed sympathy with affected families, noting that the ODPP stands with “family members of those that were and are still trapped under the debris of the collapsed building,” and extended his “most sincere sympathies” during what he described as a painful and distressing time.
“To ensure accountability,” the DPP said, police must immediately initiate or fast-track investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collapse and submit a comprehensive report to his office within a week.
The aim, he added, is to establish responsibility and “hold every person who enabled the unsafe construction to account, whether public or private individuals.”
The prosecutorial directive comes as search and rescue operations continue at the South C site under a multi-agency command led by the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU).
On Sunday, Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku confirmed that one body had been recovered from the rubble, as anxious families continued to wait for updates.
“At 12.30 hours of the recovery process, the body of a young adult was recovered,” Ruku said, adding that rescue efforts were about 70 per cent complete.
He cautioned that the remaining phase of the operation would take time, describing it as delicate and demanding careful handling, but assured families that the government remains fully committed to seeing the exercise through.
Multiple agencies are now investigating the collapse, even as debris clearance continues, with pressure mounting on authorities to explain how such a structure was allowed to stand and ultimately fail in a residential area of the capital.
