The Ministry of Health has directed public health officers to identify safety risks in buildings under construction and report them promptly following the collapse of a multi-storey building in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
In an update issued on Saturday, October 24, the ministry said the officers should step up monitoring of occupational hazards to help prevent similar incidents.
“The ministry has also urged public health officers to identify occupational hazards at buildings under construction and report them promptly to help prevent similar incidents,” the statement read.
The directive comes a day after the building collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh on Friday, October 23, leaving seven people reported missing and feared trapped beneath the rubble as of early Saturday.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said disaster response procedures had been activated, with a 24-hour desk established at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts.
The ministry is working with the Nairobi City County Government to support medical teams treating victims and prepare for those who may be rescued alive.
Medical personnel from referral hospitals have also been deployed to reinforce the response, while nearby health facilities remain on standby to handle emergencies.
Muthoni urged members of the public without the necessary medical skills to keep away from the rescue operation unless directed by the authorities.
The ministry said untrained people could expose themselves to additional risks by attempting to help without proper guidance.
The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross have also set up stations at the scene to provide medical assistance and psychosocial support to relatives waiting for information about their loved ones.
A separate desk has been established to help families trace missing relatives as search and rescue operations continue.
Authorities have asked members of the public to remain calm and maintain a safe distance from the site to allow emergency teams to carry out their work.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja disclosed that although the property had received approval for a change of use in 2024, the county had not approved the developer’s application to construct a 15-storey building with a basement.
Sakaja said county planners had raised concerns in November 2024 over plans to have shops in the basement and on the ground floor. An enforcement order was also issued earlier in 2026.
Following the collapse, the county government forwarded documents to the police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to support investigations into the incident.
The investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine the responsibility of the professionals and officials involved.
Rescue teams drawn from several government agencies and emergency organisations remained at the scene in Eastleigh as efforts to locate the missing people continued.
