Africa-Press – Kenya. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has vowed stern action against all individuals found culpable in the collapse of a multi-storey building in Nairobi.
Ruku said that preliminary investigations point to gross negligence and blatant disregard of lawful construction orders.
Addressing the media at the scene of the incident, CS Ruku revealed that according to official approval documents, the building had been cleared for a maximum of 12 floors but had already reached the 14th floor at the time of collapse.
He said this deviation from approved plans is a key line of inquiry for investigators.
“According to approval documents which we have, this building was supposed to go for 12 floors, but it is reported it was already at 14th floor. Therefore, at the preliminary investigations, it is expected that the building has collapsed because of column overload,” Ruku said.
He added that in August last year, the Nairobi City County Government had issued a stop order halting further construction.
“The information we have is that the extra two floors were not approved and that iswhy on August 11 2025, there was a stop order issued by Nairobi County Government to stop the building,” he added.
However, the directive was allegedly ignored.
The Cabinet Secretary faulted the contractor, supervising engineers, building owners and the architect responsible for the design, noting that authorities have their names, contacts and professional registration details.
He assured Kenyans that all those involved will be subjected to the full force of the law.
“As government, we will go into the details of the negligence involved, what caused this collapse, and everyone who played a role will be held accountable,” Ruku stated.
On the rescue operation, the CS confirmed that four Kenyans are suspected to be trapped in the rubble.
These include two watchmen whose relatives were present at the scene, as well as two pedestrians who were in a taxi near the building when it collapsed.
The taxi driver, he said, is currently admitted at Mbagathi Hospital, and his account helped authorities establish the presence of the pedestrians.
Ruku called for calm as multi-agency teams continue with rescue and recovery efforts, emphasising that the operation will not stop until all those trapped are accounted for.
“We are not leaving this place until we ensure those trapped are rescued and reunited with their families,” he said, conveying the government’s sympathies to affected families.
He further disclosed that President William Ruto was briefed on the incident and directed the immediate deployment of multi-agency teams to investigate the cause of the collapse and establish whether any Kenyans were trapped.
The building, according to the CS, is owned by two Kenyans and involved a contractor and a consulting firm, all of whom are now under scrutiny as investigations continue
