Dismembered body of a woman recovered from the rubble in Eastleigh

Rescue efforts at the collapsed storey building in Eastleigh 9th street in Nairobi County. [Benard Orwongo Standard]

From the first day of  the building collapse in Eastleigh, various conflicting information had been seen on social media regarding the status of rescue operations.

This necessitated the relevant authorities involved in the search and rescue operation to control who records information from the scene and nearby buildings, making locals and some sections of Kenyans question the motive and what they term secrecy.

But according to authorities, many people who were recording were disseminating unverified information on their social media platforms while lacking basic media ethics. Some were accused of exaggerating the number of casualties, creating panic among the rest of Kenyans who are following closely on the matter.

 

They have defended restrictions limiting access to the disaster site to accredited journalists and authorized personnel citing safety concerns, the need to protect ongoing operations, and the growing threat of misinformation.

Dr William Sifuna of the National Disaster Management Unit said the restrictions were necessary to prevent members of the public from exposing themselves to danger and interfering with the delicate rescue exercise beyond physical safety, as they are also concerned about the spread of misinformation and unverified reports from people filming and livestreaming the operation without official authorization.

Sifuna said some individuals were accessing nearby high-rise buildings and secretly recording the rescue exercise  through windows, then sharing videos and interpretations of events without understanding what was happening on the ground.

He warned that such content could mislead the public, create unnecessary anxiety among affected families and undermine confidence in the emergency response.

"People only see what is taking place and then they form their own opinions and fabricate some issues or information that is not proper," he said.

Sifuna maintained that the government had established an official communication channel through which accredited media teams receive updates from the multi agency committee coordinating the operation.

He said the agencies were working jointly to ensure that information released to the public was accurate, verified and reflective of developments at the scene.

Sifuna cited the recovery of a body earlier in the day as evidence of the continued efforts by rescue teams.

 He cautioned that unauthorized filming and sensational reporting could have serious consequences beyond misleading the public, including disrupting rescue activities and putting lives at risk. In an environment where machinery is operating and debris is unstable, a sudden panic could lead to workers abandoning equipment or interrupting coordinated activities, delaying the resumption of rescue efforts.

 "If somebody cries, it will force people to run away because they might think the building is falling again. They leave the machines there and before you organize them again to begin working, time is lost," he said.