Traders count losses as business resumes after South C building collapse

Business is slowly resuming in South C, Nairobi, following the collapse of a multi-storey building that left two people dead, even as traders and property owners count losses.

While some shops have reopened, business owners said the incident heavily impacted their operations.

Speaking during a clean-up on Sunday, traders operating near the collapsed building said they suffered losses through theft, vandalism and forced closure of premises as access roads were blocked to allow rescue teams to work.

Among those affected is Saumir Shah, a business owner in the area, who estimates that he incurred losses of about Sh7 million.

“I got a lot of damage in my shop. We have not calculated how much damage was done in my shop but things were stolen from the shop, worth approximately Sh7 million. We request that the government support us, and the building owner clears everything so that we continue with our business,” said Shah.

Namish Shah, also a trader in the area, said that they only gained access to their shop after three days since the incident occurred.

“We found things had already been stolen, resulting in big damages and loss. It was a total mess, and we cannot continue with business as usual. It is a very big loss for us. We can't even sleep at night because of this loss, we actually starting from zero hoping to rise again," she said.

Dr Rashid Ali Omar, the chairman of the Nairobi South Business Community Association (NSBCA), acknowledged the scale of losses suffered by traders, saying the association was engaging stakeholders to explore ways of mitigating the damage and preventing similar incidents in the future.

He further dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting that a large number of structures in South C may be unsafe.

“We categorically dismiss misleading and alarmist claims circulating in some quarters that 80 per cent of buildings in South C are unsafe. These figures are not supported by any verified data, professional assessments or official inspection reports,” he said.

Omar called on developers to strictly adhere to approved building standards and urged engineers, architects and contractors to uphold professional ethics in their work.

“Safety must never be compromised, and prevention must be the priority at every stage of development,” said Omar.