By Makaobora.com | January 2, 2026
In the early hours of Friday, January 2, 2026, Nairobi's South C estate was jolted awake by a catastrophic building collapse. A 16-storey structure under construction at the Shopping Centre area came crashing down, sending thick clouds of dust into the air and scattering debris across nearby streets. As multi-agency rescue teams led by the Kenya Red Cross rushed to the scene, one question echoed through the shocked community: How does this keep happening?
This latest tragedy is not an isolated incident but rather another chapter in Kenya's alarming pattern of building collapses. The South C collapse forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: Kenya's construction industry is plagued by deep-rooted systemic failures that go far beyond individual negligence.
The South C Collapse: What We Know
According to the Kenya Red Cross, the building collapsed overnight in the Shopping Centre area of South C, prompting an immediate emergency response involving the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi City County authorities, the National Police Service, and the Kenya Red Cross. At the time of reporting, the area had been cordoned off as search and rescue operations continued, with the number of casualties yet to be confirmed.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the South C community, particularly because this residential area has traditionally been considered middle-class and well-regulated. Shops and residents in the surrounding area were forced to evacuate over safety concerns, while questions mounted about how a 16-storey building could be approved for construction in what was primarily a residential zone.
A Pattern of Preventable Tragedies
The South C collapse is far from unique. Kenya has witnessed a disturbing trend of building failures, with multiple incidents occurring just in the past year:
Recent Collapses:
- December 2025: The National Construction Authority (NCA) warned residents about visible cracks in a 13-storey building along Peponi Road in Westlands, noting it was at risk of collapse due to structural failures
- October 2025: Construction debris from a neighboring site collapsed onto Emmanuel New Life Learning Centre, killing two pupils and critically injuring two others
- July 2025: A wall collapsed at a construction site on Rhapta Road in Westlands, injuring several workers at a site allegedly managed by a Chinese firm with multiple safety violations
- February 2025: A three-storey building under construction collapsed on Third Avenue in Parklands, killing one person who had stayed behind to monitor CCTV
Historical data paints an even grimmer picture. According to research by the National Construction Authority, over 200 Kenyans died between 1990 and 2019 in 87 documented cases of building failures and collapse. The 2016 Huruma building collapse remains the worst tragedy, claiming 52 lives when a six-storey residential building came down during heavy rains.
The Systemic Problems: A Multi-Layered Crisis
1. Poor Workmanship: The Leading Cause
Research by the NCA reveals that poor workmanship contributes to 35% of all building collapses in Kenya—the single biggest cause. This stems from a critical shortage of skilled construction workers and the widespread employment of unqualified "quacks" who lack proper training in modern construction techniques.
The problem is exacerbated by inadequate supervision. Many construction sites operate without registered professionals overseeing the work, allowing substandard practices to go unchecked. Even when qualified supervisors are present, corruption often ensures that violations are overlooked.
2. Substandard Materials: Building on Weak Foundations
The Kenyan construction market is flooded with counterfeit and substandard materials, accounting for 28% of building collapses. From low-quality stones and incorrect concrete ratios to the use of scrap metal instead of proper steel reinforcements, these materials create structures that are disasters waiting to happen.
While some contractors are genuinely duped by counterfeiters with fake authentication certificates, many knowingly use inferior materials to cut costs. The drive to maximize profits overrides safety considerations, with potentially fatal consequences.
3. Inadequate Foundations: Cutting Corners Where It Matters Most
Foundations can account for up to half the cost of a building, making them a prime target for cost-cutting by unscrupulous developers. Buildings constructed on sandy soils, swampy areas, or near rivers require far stronger foundations than those on solid ground, but developers frequently skimp on the concrete and reinforcements needed.
The 2016 Huruma collapse exemplified this problem. The six-storey building had been constructed next to a river on inadequate foundations, and when heavy rains came, the ground beneath simply could not support the structure's weight.
4. Unprofessional and Unethical Conduct
Accounting for 34% of collapses, unprofessional and unethical conduct by contractors represents a systemic breakdown of professional standards. This includes:
- Contractors building beyond approved plans (adding extra floors not in the original design)
- Failing to engage licensed professionals
- Ignoring stop-work orders from authorities
- Falsifying compliance documents
- Colluding with corrupt officials to bypass inspections
5. Regulatory Capture and Weak Enforcement
Kenya has a robust legal framework for construction regulation, including:
- The National Construction Authority Act (2011)
- The National Building Code 2024 (which replaced the outdated 1968 regulations on March 1, 2025)
- County government building approval processes
- Environmental impact assessment requirements through NEMA
However, having laws on paper means nothing if they're not enforced.
The regulatory system suffers from:
- Multiple conflicting frameworks: The NCA, county governments, and NEMA all have overlapping mandates with weak coordination between them
- Inadequate resources: Inspection teams are understaffed and underfunded, making comprehensive oversight impossible
- Lack of prosecution: Despite over 200 deaths from building collapses between 1990 and 2019, there have been virtually no convictions of developers, architects, engineers, or approving officials
As NCA Chief Executive Daniel Manduku noted, "A chain is only as good as the links. If there is any problem within the chain, there can be corruption."
6. Corruption: The Root Cause
Perhaps the most damaging systemic problem is corruption, which permeates every level of the construction industry.
Research reveals the scale of the problem:
- Mombasa: Developers pay bribes of up to Ksh 1 million to "facilitate" building permit acquisition
- Kiambu: Bribes start at Ksh 30,000 with no maximum limit
- Nakuru: Developers pay up to Ksh 20,000
- Kakamega: Bribes reach Ksh 50,000
According to broader surveys, one in three Kenyan companies expects to pay bribes to obtain construction permits. This corruption manifests throughout the process:
At the Approval Stage:
- County officials sabotage the automated building approval system to force developers to pay bribes
- Manual approval processes that should take 60 days stretch to 9-12 months unless "facilitation fees" are paid
- Buildings get approved without proper structural reviews or compliance checks
During Construction:
- Inspectors accept bribes to overlook safety violations
- Stop-work orders are ignored because developers have paid off officials
- Quality assurance checks become rubber-stamp exercises
Post-Collapse:
- Investigations are superficial and rarely lead to prosecutions
- Blame is diffused across multiple actors, allowing everyone to escape accountability
- Political connections protect powerful developers from consequences
According to Transparency International, corruption costs Kenya at least one-third of its state budget annually—approximately $6 billion. In construction specifically, every bribes paid represents a compromise on safety standards.
7. Inadequate Building Codes and Their Implementation
While the National Building Code 2024 represents a significant improvement over the 1968 regulations, its effective implementation remains challenging. The new code:
- Mandates engagement of licensed professionals at all stages
- Requires comprehensive approvals including EIAs and NCA compliance certificates
- Enforces stricter material testing and supervision requirements
- Introduces provisions for disaster resilience and sustainable construction
However, the code only became enforceable on March 1, 2025, and many ongoing projects like the South C building were approved under the old system. Furthermore, enforcement capacity remains limited, with the NCA having to conduct sensitization workshops across all 47 counties while simultaneously inspecting thousands of construction sites.
8. Rapid Urbanization and Housing Demand
Kenya's rapid urbanization creates intense pressure for housing, particularly affordable units. Nairobi's population continues to grow, and developers rush to meet demand, often cutting corners to maintain profit margins in the face of rising construction costs.
According to the NCA, over 50% of buildings in Nairobi fail to meet basic safety standards. Many structures are erected without proper permits or inspections, particularly in low-income neighborhoods where residents desperately need affordable housing. These vulnerable communities bear the brunt of substandard construction.
9. Lack of Public Awareness and Advocacy
Many Kenyans, especially in low-income areas, lack awareness of construction standards and their rights as tenants or buyers. This information asymmetry allows developers to construct unsafe buildings without facing market pressure or community resistance.
The public's limited understanding of warning signs—visible cracks, sagging structures, water damage—means dangerous buildings remain occupied until catastrophe strikes. Additionally, there's insufficient civic pressure on politicians and officials to prioritize construction safety enforcement.
Is It a Systems Problem? Absolutely.
The evidence overwhelmingly points to systemic failure rather than isolated incidents of negligence. When buildings collapse with tragic regularity, when corruption is endemic, when regulations exist but aren't enforced, when professionals compromise their ethics, and when no one faces consequences—the system itself is broken.
Consider the chain of systemic failures in a typical building collapse:
- Planning Stage: Developers receive approval for sites unsuitable for high-rise construction, often through bribes
- Design Stage: Structural designs are inadequate or never properly reviewed
- Approval Stage: County officials approve plans that violate regulations
- Construction Stage: Unqualified contractors use substandard materials while qualified inspectors look the other way
- Supervision Stage: NCA stop-work orders are ignored with police complicity
- Post-Collapse Stage: Investigations produce reports that gather dust, and no one is prosecuted
This isn't a failure at one point—it's a cascade of failures across multiple actors and institutions, all enabled by a culture of impunity and corruption.
What Needs to Change: Solutions for a Broken System
Immediate Actions
1. Comprehensive Building Audits All buildings under construction must undergo immediate structural integrity assessments by independent engineers. Those found unsafe should be immediately evacuated and either remediated or demolished at the owner's expense.
2. Strengthen Enforcement Capacity The NCA needs significantly more resources:
- Increase the number of qualified inspectors
- Deploy mobile materials testing laboratories nationwide
- Establish regional offices with autonomous enforcement powers
- Provide adequate security for enforcement officers
3. Digitalize Approval Processes Expand the e-permit system beyond Nairobi to all 47 counties. Digital systems reduce corruption opportunities by creating audit trails and eliminating face-to-face interactions where bribes are solicited.
4. Mandatory Insurance and Bonding Require all construction projects to carry insurance covering potential collapse damages. This creates financial incentives for insurers to demand compliance with safety standards.
Systemic Reforms
1. Consolidate Regulatory Authority Create a single "one-stop shop" for construction approvals that coordinates NCA, county governments, NEMA, and other stakeholders. This reduces opportunities for bureaucratic confusion and corruption while speeding legitimate approvals.
2. Criminalize Non-Compliance The proposed amendments to the NCA Act must include:
- Heavy fines and mandatory prison sentences for developers who violate regulations
- Criminal liability for professionals who sign off on substandard work
- Prosecution of county officials who approve unsafe projects
- Asset forfeiture for buildings constructed through corruption
3. Establish an Independent Prosecutions Unit Create a specialized unit within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions focused solely on construction-related crimes, with forensic engineering expertise and adequate resources.
4. Professional Accountability Professional bodies (Board of Registration of Architects, Engineers Registration Board, etc.) must:
- Aggressively sanction members involved in substandard construction
- Maintain public databases of sanctioned professionals
- Require continuing professional development in safety and ethics
- Implement peer review systems for major projects
5. Public Participation and Transparency
- Require developers to display project approvals, contractor licenses, and structural engineer details prominently at construction sites
- Establish public hotlines for reporting construction violations
- Publish all building approval decisions online with justifications
- Mandate community consultations for major developments
6. Address Corruption Systemically
- Enforce asset declaration requirements for county planning officials
- Investigate unexplained wealth among construction regulators
- Protect whistleblowers who report corruption
- Prosecute both bribe-givers and bribe-takers
7. Build Industry Capacity
- Expand construction training programs at vocational institutions
- Certify and license all construction workers, not just professionals
- Subsidize training for workers transitioning from informal to formal construction
- Partner with international organizations to adopt global best practices
8. Consumer Protection
- Require developers to provide structural warranties
- Establish compensation funds for victims of building collapses
- Mandate disclosure of building inspection histories to buyers and tenants
- Create legal presumptions that collapsed buildings were negligently constructed
The Way Forward
The South C building collapse should serve as yet another wake-up call—but Kenya has had too many wake-up calls already. From the 1996 Sunbeam Building collapse to the 2016 Huruma tragedy to this week's disaster, the pattern repeats because the underlying systemic problems remain unaddressed.
This is fundamentally a systems problem that requires systems-level solutions. Individual prosecutions, while necessary, won't solve it. Stricter building codes, while important, won't solve it. More inspectors, while helpful, won't solve it. Only comprehensive reform that addresses corruption, strengthens institutions, enforces accountability, and changes the culture of impunity will prevent the next tragedy.
Every building that collapses represents a failure of society to protect its citizens. Every death is preventable. Every tragedy is a choice—a choice to prioritize short-term profits over human life, to tolerate corruption, to accept impunity, and to allow systemic dysfunction to persist.
The question isn't whether Kenya can build safe buildings—the country has many well-constructed structures. The question is whether Kenya has the political will to enforce the standards necessary to ensure ALL buildings are safe.
As search and rescue operations continue in South C, as families wait anxiously for news of their loved ones, and as yet another community mourns preventable deaths, Kenya must finally answer this question with meaningful action.
The lives lost in Huruma, Parklands, Kiambu, and now South C demand nothing less.
About Makaobora.com: Your trusted source for in-depth analysis of Kenya's construction industry, building regulations, and safety standards. Stay informed, stay safe, and help us hold the industry accountable.
Have you witnessed construction safety violations? Report them to the National Construction Authority hotline or your county government. Your vigilance could save lives.
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