Kisumu County Commissioner Ramadhan Mwabudzo has ordered the demolition of a partially collapsed building in Mamboleo after a joint inspection by construction and city management officials.
Mwabudzo said the building will be brought down on Monday, September 28, using controlled explosives after experts assessed the condition of the remaining structure.
The inspection brought together officials from the National Construction Authority (NCA), Kisumu City Management and other relevant agencies to determine the safety of the building and the appropriate action following its partial collapse.
The four-storey structure partially collapsed on Monday, September 21, leaving eight people injured and forcing the evacuation of residents.
Six of those injured were treated at the scene, while two others were taken to hospital in critical condition.
The building, which housed about 40 families, was still under construction when one side of the L-shaped structure began sinking before sections of it gave way.
The collapse also damaged the staircase, making it difficult for some residents on the upper floors to escape.
Authorities moved to secure the site immediately after the incident, with police restricting access as technical teams assessed the structure.
The NCA subsequently placed another safety notice on the building, while officials examined whether construction had complied with approved plans.
The inspection comes amid questions over previous enforcement measures at the site. Kisumu city officials said the NCA and the county planning department had previously intervened over the building, with authorities investigating whether construction continued despite those actions.
Officials are also examining documents presented in connection with the development to establish whether the required approvals were genuine and whether construction followed the plans approved by the county government.
The cause of the collapse has not been conclusively established. Earlier, Kisumu city officials said ongoing construction and the additional weight of materials at the site were among the factors being examined, but investigations were still underway.
The demolition is expected to remove the unstable sections of the structure and secure the site against further danger.
Authorities will also continue examining the building’s approvals and construction history as investigations into the incident proceed.
