Families await fate of missing kin as Eastleigh collapsed building rescue nears closure

Relatives of the missing persons  at the site of the collapsed Eastleigh building as rescue operation continues on October31, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

As rescue teams reach the basement of the collapsed 18-storey building, families face an agonising wait for answers, with six bodies recovered and at least 10 people still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

The next 48 hours could prove crucial in the search for people missing following the collapse of the building in Eastleigh as recovery teams push deeper into the rubble in an effort to establish the fate of those still unaccounted for as excavators have reached the basement of the building, raising hopes among rescue teams that they could retrieve people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

The progress has offered a glimmer of hope to families who have spent nearly two weeks at the scene, waiting for news of their loved ones. But the wait has also become increasingly painful as two bodies have so far been recovered from the collapsed building and are being preserved at the City Mortuary.

Post-mortem examinations are expected to be conducted on Thursday to help establish their identities.

Families of two deceased victims have been informed. However, questions remain over the identity of one of the bodies, after a family reportedly disputed that it was their missing relative.

The multi-agency team searches through the rubble of the collapsed multi-storey building in Eastleigh, Nairobi County. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Authorities said they are following a systematic identification process, with DNA testing expected to establish the identity conclusively.

For families still waiting, the recovery of the bodies has brought a painful reality closer, even as others continue to hope that their relatives could still be found.

Among those at the scene for almost two weeks is Jairo Wekesa, whose wife, Roselyne Chepkoech, remains missing 13 days after the building collapsed.

Every morning at 7am, Jairo leaves home and heads to the rescue site, hoping that the day will bring news of his wife.

His routine has become one of waiting for updates from the rescue teams and returning home every evening to answer his children's questions.

They want to know where their mother is. Each morning, he tells them he is going to look for her. When he returns in the evening, he has to give them the same painful answer: he has not found her, but he will try again tomorrow.

His hopes were particularly high after families were informed that the rescue operation had reached 90 per cent completion after nine days of work.

He believed that the remaining work would be completed by the tenth day. However, the anticipated breakthrough did not come and he has continued waiting for news of Roselyne.

Despite the uncertainty, Jairo says he remains hopeful that the ongoing operation will eventually lead him to his wife.

Beyond his personal anguish, he has appealed for more efficient disaster response systems to ensure that families do not endure prolonged periods of uncertainty when tragedies occur.

He has also expressed concern over what he describes as a lack of acknowledgement from the country's leadership, saying families at the scene would appreciate even a simple message of condolence from President William Ruto.

As recovery teams continue working around the clock, reaching the basement marks an important stage in the recovery operation.

The families who have camped at the scene for almost two weeks hope that the next update may finally end their uncertainty as the operation is more than 90 percent complete.