A demolition operation along Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District ended in a building collapse that injured four workers, triggered an overnight emergency response and raised questions about the safety measures in place at the site.
The Avenida Building came down on Friday night, October 16, 2026, as workers prepared the site for redevelopment. Nairobi County said three of the injured workers were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, while all 24 workers reported to have been at the scene were found safe. No fatalities were recorded.
According to a situation report issued on Saturday, October 17, by Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning Patrick Mbogo, the incident occurred in Nairobi Central Ward, Starehe Sub-county, during planned demolition works.
County Fire and Rescue Services began responding after receiving an alert at about 12.11am on Saturday. Emergency teams first secured the area before the National Disaster Management Unit assumed command and coordinated the response.
Search operations, supported by canine teams, were completed by 1.50am, the report stated.
“Search operations, including the deployment of canine teams, were completed by 1.50 am,” the report said.
After the search, machinery was brought in to remove debris and make the site safe. The county said work would not resume until a structural safety assessment had been carried out.
“Machinery has been deployed to clear debris and secure the area. A structural safety assessment will be conducted before any further activity is allowed at the site.”
The county said further details would be released once the multi-agency team had completed its assessment of the incident.
The collapse also prompted Nairobi County official Geoffrey Mosiria to call for a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the demolition.
Mosiria noted that the incident happened late at night, when fewer people were moving along the busy street, potentially limiting the number of casualties.
He urged county engineers to establish what caused the building to fall and determine whether the demolition was carried out under the guidance of qualified professionals and with the necessary approvals.
“I call upon our county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation into this specific demolition to establish the cause of the collapse, determine whether qualified experts were involved to guide the demolition, and verify whether all the necessary demolition approvals had been obtained,” Mosiria said.
He further called on developers to follow county rules during construction and demolition, stressing the need to work with county engineers to prevent incidents that put lives at risk.
“I appeal to all developers to strictly comply with county laws during construction and demolition and work closely with county engineers to ensure safety and protect lives,” he added.