The National Construction Authority (NCA) has said the 16-storey building that collapsed in Nairobi’s South C area early Tuesday morning was non-compliant at the time of the incident.
The disclosure came as Nairobi City County confirmed that its enforcement teams had cited the project for violations on three separate occasions.
The structure, a proposed mixed-use development located on Muhoho Avenue, plot number 68/1306 in South C Ward, Lang’ata Sub-County, had been approved as a 14-storey building.
According to the NCA, the project was registered with the authority on November 8, 2023.
Nairobi City County said the development had been subjected to enforcement action in May, July and December 2025 over multiple infractions, although the specific violations were not detailed in a situation report issued on Friday afternoon.
Preliminary assessments by county officials indicate the building suffered a pancake-style collapse, with two people feared trapped beneath the debris.
NCA identified Abyan Consulting Limited as both the developer and contractor for the project.
The listed consultants include architect Gideon Chege Mwangi, engineer Peter Kimani Kireru and quantity surveyor James Kiragu Njoroge.
The contractor is registered under the NCA 4 category for building works, with Yussuf Mohamed Yussuf named as the sole director.
Emergency response teams from Nairobi City County, the Kenya Defence Forces Disaster Response Battalion, the National Youth Service and the Nairobi Fire Brigade were deployed to the site to support rescue and recovery operations.
The NCA said it would release a comprehensive report outlining the cause of the collapse and findings on accountability once investigations are complete.
“The Authority reiterates its commitment to safeguarding public safety, ensuring accountability within the construction industry, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and compliance across all construction projects nationwide,” the agency said.
The collapse has renewed scrutiny of Nairobi’s construction oversight system, raising questions about enforcement effectiveness, compliance follow-through and inter-agency coordination, as political calls grow for accountability and independent investigations.
