South C building collapse: Architect risks deregistration

Search operations at the collapsed building in south C entered day 4 as rescue workers searched for the remaining person still trapped in the debris on January 5, 2025. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The ongoing search for one person suspected to be trapped under the debris of the collapsed South C building is expected to close tomorrow, even as nearby schools remained closed on safety grounds, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has revealed.

Ruku and his Lands counterpart visited the site early Monday, August 5, to check the progress of a search mission conducted by a multi-agency disaster response who have been present at the scene of the incident since Friday, January 2, when the structure crumbled.

One body was retrieved yesterday. A review of surveillance footage, witness accounts, and narrations of families of the missing persons points to a second person.

“The place is still an operational area. The nearby school will remain closed as earlier directed until the recovery mission concludes. We expect to be done tomorrow,” said Ruku.

Meanwhile, Lands CS Alice Wahome threatened to deregister the architect who designed the building should he be found to be criminally culpable in the ongoing investigation. “Should the report find that the architect went even one extra floor more than the approved 12, I’ll deregister them,” said Wahome.

On Sunday, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed the police to probe the incident and submit the file within a week.

In a separate statement dated Monday, January 5, The Architects Alliance (TAA) blamed the recurring accidents on alleged compromised approval processes marred by bribery without political responsibility.

“Over many years, TAA has formally warned national and county authorities that Nairobi’s development control regime has become dangerously compromised,” said the alliance’s Sylvia Kasanga, adding, “Through memoranda, policy submissions, and official correspondence—including repeated engagements with Nairobi City County on supervision capacity and planning coordination. TAA has consistently raised red flags that have gone unaddressed.”

The two cabinet secretaries, however, stated that a detailed report of the circumstances leading to the sudden collapse of the 14-storey building while still under construction will also be released on Tuesday from the authorities involved, including the National Construction Authority (NCA).

At the same time, normalcy has begun to return in the area. 

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has restored power supply after days of blackout occasioned by the fall of the building.

Ruku revealed that the teams were clearing debris from roads that had remained impassable to ensure free flow of traffic.