Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has demanded justice and compensation for victims following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in South C, Lang’ata Constituency, on Friday, January 2, 2026.
The building, reportedly 16 storeys high, collapsed in the early morning hours along Muhoho Road, causing panic among residents and road users in the area. Several vehicles were damaged as debris spilt onto the road, while thick dust engulfed the neighbourhood, forcing nearby businesses and homes to close temporarily.
Emergency response teams, including the Kenya Red Cross, the National Disaster Management Unit, the National Police Service and Nairobi City County disaster teams, were deployed immediately. Rescue workers have been combing through the rubble in search of survivors, with fears that drivers, passengers who were on the road at the time, and two watchmen may still be trapped beneath the debris.
Safety rules ignored
Passaris said the tragedy was a painful reminder of the dangers posed by greed, negligence and poor enforcement of construction standards in Nairobi. She noted that lives and livelihoods had been put at risk and cut short because safety rules were ignored. She added that her team was on the ground in South C to support rescue efforts as authorities focused on saving lives.
“There is no justification for rushing, shortcuts, or ignoring safety standards when human life is involved. This tragedy must be a wake-up call. Rogue investors and negligent professionals must be held fully accountable. Families who lose loved ones deserve justice and compensation. For now, our focus remains on rescue and saving lives. Accountability must follow, and it must be firm,” Passaris stated
The Woman Representative criticised the continued trend of unsafe construction in the city, saying Nairobi has witnessed too many building collapses in recent years. She stressed that there is no justification for rushing projects, taking shortcuts or ignoring safety standards when human life is involved. According to Passaris, rogue investors and negligent professionals must be held fully accountable once rescue operations are complete.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino also weighed in on the incident, calling for a thorough investigation into the approvals and oversight of the collapsed building. He blamed weak regulation, poor enforcement and suspected corruption within Nairobi City County for allowing unsafe developments to continue. Owino said the tragedy exposed serious failures in the systems meant to protect the public.
