Two more bodies recovered from Eastleigh building collapse rubble
Two more bodies were Thursday recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, as multi-agency teams continue search and recovery operations.
This increases to four, the number of the bodies so far recovered from the scene.
The bodies, identified as those of an adult woman and an adult man, were retrieved in the early hours of Thursday, November 5, 2026.
According to police, the first body, belonging to an unidentified adult female, was recovered at approximately 1:30am, while the second body, that of an unidentified adult male, was retrieved at around 3:30am.
Both bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition.
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) personnel processed and documented the scene before the bodies were transferred to the City Mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations and identification.
The recovery operation follows the October 23 building collapse in Eastleigh, which prompted a multi-agency search and rescue mission.
Search and recovery operations were still ongoing by Thursday morning as teams continued to comb through the debris for possible survivors and additional victims.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the police said the multi-agency rescue team retrieved the body as the search-and-rescue operation continued.
The NPS further revealed that four survivors have so far been pulled alive from the rubble as the search continued for the second week.
“So far, a total of four survivors have been pulled alive from the rubble,” read the statement.
“Members of the public are urged to keep away from the affected site to allow emergency responders, specialised equipment, and rescue personnel to continue the arduous task of clearing the remaining debris.”
The building, which was still under construction, collapsed along 9th Street on October 23, trapping several people beneath tonnes of concrete and debris.
Emergency response teams have continued working around the clock to access the lower sections of the structure, particularly the basement, where some of the missing individuals are suspected to have been trapped.
The operation has faced significant challenges as emergency teams work to clear the remaining debris and reach the lower sections of the building.
Authorities say approximately 90 per cent of the debris has been cleared, with the ongoing operation now concentrating on accessing the remaining sections of the collapsed structure.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said 16 people remained unaccounted for following a verification exercise conducted by the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Officials disclosed that investigators had relied on mobile phone data to establish that nine of the missing individuals were at the building shortly before it collapsed.
Authorities are pursuing information concerning four other cases, while three families are yet to provide phone numbers to facilitate efforts to trace their missing relatives.
Hopes of finding more survivors had earlier been raised after specialised rescue equipment detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble.
The recovery of the bodies adds to the growing toll of the disaster, which has also triggered investigations into possible breaches of construction regulations and failures in building supervision.
Detectives have reportedly questioned one of the developers, alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority, as investigations seek to establish what led to the collapse.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed the DCI to investigate possible negligence, omissions or misconduct by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.
The DPP clarified that, as of the date of its statement, Nairobi City County Government had not forwarded any inquiry file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) concerning alleged malpractices by the developer, construction professionals or county officials connected to the project.
The investigations will examine whether acts or omissions by Nairobi County officials, the private developer, contractors or other professionals involved in the planning, approval, supervision and construction of the building contributed to the collapse.
The directive was issued pursuant to Article 157(4) of the Constitution, which empowers the DPP to direct the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to investigate information or allegations of criminal conduct.
Upon completion of the investigations, the DCI is expected to submit the inquiry file to the ODPP for independent review and further directions.
The ODPP said it would take appropriate prosecutorial action against anyone found criminally culpable, provided sufficient evidence is established, regardless of their position or status.
The latest developments come amid a public disagreement between Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and national government agencies over accountability for the recurring collapse of buildings in the capital.
Sakaja has blamed government agencies, including the police and the ODPP, over their handling of cases involving collapsed structures in Nairobi.
However, the agencies have denied the allegations, setting the stage for further scrutiny of the respective roles of county authorities, national government institutions, developers and construction professionals in enforcing building safety regulations.
