NCA names developer and contractor of collapsed Eastleigh building as police hunt owner

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The National Construction Authority (NCA) has named the developer, contractor and professionals on record for the multi-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Friday, as police said they were looking for the building’s owner and the contractor.

In a press statement dated October 23, the regulator said the building on 9th Street, Eastleigh, in Kamukunji Sub-County, was registered with it on July 30, 2025, as a proposed development on Land Reference Number 36/II/40. It gave the project registration number as 53128815710410.

The developer on record is 9th Street Plaza Limited, and the contractor on record is Stromax Holdings E.A Limited, registration number 41669/B/0618, the statement said. NCA listed Arch. Emmanuel Mwangi Maina (registration number A2045) as the project architect and Eng. Joseph Muturi Mugu (registration number A2750) as the structural engineer.

The statement, signed by acting executive director and Registrar of Contractors Qs. Susan Rutto, said the site had been cordoned off and that a multi-agency team was coordinating rescue work and carrying out preliminary investigations. NCA did not say whether the project had passed any inspections or whether it held approvals from Nairobi City County.

Police open criminal probe

The National Police Service said in a statement on Saturday that it had opened an investigation with other professional bodies “to establish the cause of the collapse and determine criminal liability.”

“Any individual or entity found culpable of negligence or of violating building regulations will face the full force of the law. A manhunt has been launched for the building’s owner and the contractor responsible for the site,” police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said.

Rescue work continues

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who visited the site with Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku on Friday evening, said in an update posted at 10.40pm that 67 construction workers were on site when the building came down. He said 66 escaped unhurt and one was injured and in stable condition in hospital.

Murkomen said eleven shops on the ground floor and in the basement were occupied at the time and that seven people had been reported missing. “The cause of the collapse will be thoroughly investigated by the relevant national and county government agencies in collaboration with the relevant professional bodies. Those found responsible will be held accountable,” he said.

On Saturday, the Kenya Red Cross said 66 of the 67 construction workers had been traced and that the search was continuing for anyone who may have been in or near the building. Its teams pulled one person from the rubble on Saturday afternoon and a second person in the evening. Both were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Police said the search would continue and that further updates would follow.

Families looking for missing relatives have been asked to report to the Red Cross desk at the site or call its toll-free line, 1199. Police have also asked the public to keep clear of Yusuf Haji Avenue and 9th Street so that excavators, dog units and rescue teams can work.

Questions for regulators

The Eastleigh collapse follows an incident earlier this month in which four people were hurt when a building on Moi Avenue collapsed during demolition for redevelopment.

NCA describes itself as a State corporation set up under the National Construction Authority Act No. 41 of 2011 to oversee the construction industry and coordinate its development. Its statement links the collapsed structure to the firms and professionals on file for it. Its statement said details on the rescue, the state of the site and actions by the multi-agency team would be shared later.

Murkomen said support for affected people and families, including psychosocial support, was being arranged. The government has not said when the findings of the investigation will be made public.