Second body recovered from collapsed building in South C

Rescuers after recovering the second body from the collapsed building in South C, Nairobi, on January 7, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The second body has been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building in South C, Nairobi, six days after the search and rescue operation began.

The first body was recovered on Sunday and was laid to rest on Tuesday in accordance with Muslim customs.

The fourteen-storey building collapsed on January 2, 2026.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has faulted the Nairobi County Government for approving four additional floors on the building.

Addrressing media at the scene on Wednesday, Wahome said preliminary findings indicate serious failures in the approval process, terming the actions by some county officials as rogue and criminal.

The CS warned that the government will take action against all individuals involved in what she described as irregular and unlawful approvals that compromised safety standards and ultimately led to the collapse of the 14-storey building.

Wahome said that accountability will extend to all professionals involved, including developers, contractors, and inspectors, insisting that the tragedy must serve as a warning against impunity in the construction sector.

The first body of a male adult was recovered from the collapsed building on Sunday at about 12:30 pm.

Emergency responders drawn from the Nairobi County Government, the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), the Kenya Red Cross, the police and other agencies have been stationed along Muhoho Avenue in South C since Friday.