Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that seven people remain missing following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in Eastleigh, Kamukunji Sub-County, Nairobi.
In an update issued after visiting the scene on Friday evening alongside Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, Murkomen said all 67 construction workers who were at the site when the building collapsed had been accounted for.
Of the workers, 66 escaped uninjured, while one sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital, where the victim is reported to be in stable condition.
The CS said 11 shops located on the ground floor and basement of the building were occupied at the time of the incident, raising fears that people could be trapped beneath the rubble.
Seven people have so far been reported missing, with rescue teams having established contact with some of them as efforts to locate and evacuate those still trapped continue.
A multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Police Service (NPS), Nairobi City County Government, National Youth Service (NYS), Kenya Red Cross and other government agencies is coordinating the search and rescue operation.
Murkomen urged families and members of the public whose loved ones are unaccounted for to report the cases to the Kenya Red Cross through its emergency response number, 1199, to help authorities establish the whereabouts of those missing.
He said the government was providing the rescue teams with the necessary support to accelerate the operation and ensure that anyone trapped in the debris is reached.
The government is also arranging support for affected individuals and families, including psychosocial assistance, as rescue efforts continue.
Murkomen further assured the public that the circumstances surrounding the collapse would be thoroughly investigated by relevant national and county government agencies in collaboration with professional bodies.
He warned that anyone found responsible for the incident would be held accountable.
The latest update comes amid an ongoing emergency response at the Eastleigh site, where rescue teams are working to establish whether more people remain trapped in the collapsed structure.
The CS expressed sympathy to families whose relatives remain missing and wished the injured victim a speedy recovery.
