A second body was retrieved on Wednesday, January 7, from the rubble of the collapsed South C building in Nairobi.
This came six days after the incident.
This marked the near end of the recovery exercise that began on January 2.
Speaking at the scene, Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome revealed that a third person who had been trapped in the 16-storey building escaped unharmed.
“We are here six days after the incident. Today at 3:30 p.m., we recovered the second body of the security guard. We can now confirm that there were two people involved, and the third escaped unhurt,” she said.
She also called for the Nairobi County Government to be held liable for approving poorly constructed buildings that lead to such incidents.
“The (Nairobi) County put the last nail on the coffin because they approved four other floors when the building is being completed,” said the CS.
“We are still gathering evidence, and we will take action against those behind the collapse. We are awaiting the National Construction Authority (NCA) report, and there are people who will have to carry the cross. We are embarking on action against poorly built buildings and quack construction experts. I am aware that the extra illegal four floors were the main cause.”
“The county should also carry the cross for approving an extra four floors. We know what happened, and we will expose it. The county failed,” he said.
She added she would make public the names of Nairobi County officials who approved the building once the NCA report is released.
“I will release the names of the culprits once the report is out.”
Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku noted that the site shall remain secured for investigators to conclude their probe.
“Two roads that were closed by debris are now being reopened. The incident site will continue to be secured for investigations,” Ruku noted.
Area Member of County Assembly Abass Khalif demanded action on those responsible for the collapse.
“This building could not have collapsed had the relevant agencies followed the laid down procedures. We demand action as ordered by the chief prosecutors to tame such future incidents,” he said.
He said they will push for audit of buildings that have been approved and are under construction in the city for general safety
“When we open the assembly on 14th February, we are going to summon CEC planning, chief officers, directors, all of them. Let investigations be done because for something like this to happen, what if it was a school day at Kongoni Primary School here, I think leo tungekuwa na janga kubwa sana,” Khalif stated.
Detectives probing the case have issued summons to all parties involved in the project, as directed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Investigators are also awaiting a comprehensive report to establish the exact cause of the collapse, which will inform the next course of action.
The 16-storey building collapsed on January 2, 2026, leaving two people trapped under the rubble and sparking concerns over whether the building had received approvals from the Nairobi County government.
Following the incident, Abyan Consulting Limited, the building’s developer, confirmed that the project had received approvals from the relevant county and national agencies before construction commenced.
Further, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja called for the return of prosecution powers to county governments to deal with the rise of illegal and substandard constructions.
“There are challenges expressed over time. The prosecution powers need to be returned to the county,” Sakaja noted.
However, local leaders noted that the architect behind the collapsed building could be deregistered if investigations establish criminal responsibility.
Three days after the incident, the first body was retrieved from the rubble. The victim, identified as Ali Adan Galgalo, a security guard, was later buried at Lang’ata Muslim Cemetery.
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