An 18-story building under construction collapsed Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, triggering an emergency operation as authorities feared workers and passersby were trapped beneath the rubble.

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The structure gave way on Friday, October 23, near Yusuf Haji Avenue, inside the busy Eastleigh commercial district on the eastern side of the Kenyan capital. Security forces and the Kenya Red Cross deployed rescue brigades to the scene immediately.

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Two people were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialized care, according to the latest report from relief agencies. The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that search and rescue operations continued without interruption at the collapse site.

The humanitarian organization located 26 people who had initially been reported missing. Tracking teams deployed across the sector found them safe and sound.

Given the heavy foot traffic in the commercial area, county security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds. The measure sought to protect nearby businesses from looting and to clear access routes for emergency vehicles.

🇰🇪 An 18-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi, Kenya

Numerous people, including construction workers and nearby pedestrians, are trapped under the rubble. pic.twitter.com/ErrXr9dzJE

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 23, 2026

Authorities asked residents to keep the perimeter clear so Red Cross teams and partner agencies could work safely. “Kenya Red Cross teams are working with partners from various agencies to support search and rescue operations,” the organization said in a statement.

Governor Deploys Machinery

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said relief agencies kept heavy machinery and specialized personnel on Yusuf Haji Avenue to remove debris and investigate possible failures in the construction project.

Sakaja also announced the installation of a guidance and information center at the site of the disaster. The facility aims to serve the families of workers and area residents directly, providing updated reports on the removal of materials and the status of the investigation into the responsible construction company.

The governor’s office described the operation as ongoing, with no timetable for when the rubble would be fully cleared or the cause determined.

The collapse added to concerns about construction safety standards in Nairobi, where rapid urban growth has pushed a wave of high-rise building across the city. The structure was still under construction when it fell, leaving questions about the materials, the design and the permits behind the project.

Rescue crews continued combing through the debris for any remaining victims. The Red Cross reiterated its call for the public to stay away from the area. “Clear the area to allow rescuers to work safely,” the organization urged.

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Authorities have not yet confirmed whether anyone remains unaccounted for. The two injured patients were receiving treatment while investigators began examining the site for signs of structural failure.

The Eastleigh neighborhood, known for its dense commercial activity and large Somali community, sits in the eastern part of Nairobi. The collapse disrupted business operations across the district as authorities cordoned off streets around the disaster zone.

The investigation will look at the construction firm’s permits, the quality of materials used and whether the building met the standards required for an 18-story structure. Governor Sakaja said those findings would be shared with the families awaiting answers.

Booker Ngesa Omole, general secretary of the Communist Party Marxist–Kenya (CPM-K), has been acquitted by the Mavoko Law Courts in Machakos County, ending a prosecution that the party has described as politically motivated since his arrest in February 2026.

In a statement issued on October 22, the party’s Central Organizing Committee welcomed the ruling as a victory for democratic rights and called for accountability over what it described as Omole’s abduction, torture, and political persecution.

Speaking outside the court after the ruling, Omole said the verdict confirmed the party’s position that the charges against him were intended to target his political activities.

“With finality, the court sitting today at Mavoko Law Courts has clearly indicted the current Ruto regime,” he said. “It has corroborated what we have told the Kenyan public, that framed-up charges against politicians and revolutionaries cannot endure in any competent court.”

Omole said the judiciary had a responsibility to act as a check on state power and defend “the people’s democracy and freedom.” He accused the state of using criminal proceedings to pursue political opponents, adding that it “continues to fail to indict us on criminal charges but wants to persecute us politically.”

“The acquittal is not for Booker only,” he said. “It is for the Communist Party and for all other people who want change in this country. I did not go to jail for nothing. I went to jail to make a statement, and today we prosecuted the case both in the court of public opinion and in Mavoko Law Courts.”

From arrest to acquittal

According to the party’s statement, Omole was abducted by armed men in plain clothes in Isiolo on February 24, 2026, and transported towards Nairobi before being detained at Mlolongo Police Station. The party says that he was tortured while in custody, sustaining injuries to his arm and tooth, as well as cuts to his fingers.

The party further alleges that Omole was detained for more than four days before subsequent court proceedings and his eventual release on bail. He faced criminal allegations involving firearms, ammunition, drugs, and assaults against police officers.

The prosecution case was subsequently weakened after the complainant and a prosecution witness, submitted a sworn affidavit on March 9 seeking to withdraw his complaint and earlier statements.

The court acquitted Omole on all counts on October 16, 2026. It also ordered the immediate return of the party’s property held by police, according to the Central Organizing Committee.

The acquittal brings the criminal proceedings against Omole to an end, but the party says it will continue pursuing accountability for the events surrounding his arrest and detention.

Party demands investigation and accountability

In its statement, CPM-K called for an independent investigation into the alleged abduction and torture, as well as the conduct of the police officers involved. 

The party also demanded full compliance with the court order to return its seized property and called for an end to what it describes as the criminalization of communist and revolutionary political activity.

“The court has acquitted our General Secretary. The state must now answer for what was done to him,” the statement declared.

CPM-K argued that the case should be understood within the broader political and economic conditions confronting Kenya, accusing the government of using state institutions to intimidate those organizing workers, poor peasants, students, and other oppressed groups.

The party said the acquittal would not end its political activities or its demands for accountability. Instead, it called on its supporters and international communist and workers’ organizations to intensify solidarity efforts and defend democratic freedoms.

Read more: CPM-K officials survive assassination attempt in Kenya

Omole has faced threats and arrests before. In April 2025, a car carrying him and other activists was shot at. In September 2024, he was arrested during a wider crackdown on leftist activists. He also survived an assassination attempt on his life while at his residence last year.

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