On Monday, November 11, a building under construction in the Majengo, Mombasa collapsed, leaving one person feared trapped under the rubble.
The storey building, which had barely reached its first floor, crumbled on one side, prompting an urgent response from local authorities. The Kenya Red Cross has confirmed that two individuals were rescued from the debris, while efforts continue to locate the person still trapped. A multi-agency response team, including the Kenya Police, County Government of Mombasa, and the Kenya Red Cross, is currently conducting search and rescue operations. Images from the scene reveal the extent of the damage, with construction workers gathered around the rubble, likely attempting to aid in the rescue efforts.
The cause of the collapse has yet to be determined, but preliminary observations suggest that the building’s structural integrity may have been compromised. The Mombasa County Lands and Housing Department has yet to comment on this latest collapse, which comes just over a year after a similar incident in the same county. Residents of the Marikiti area have previously voiced concerns about the safety of several buildings in their neighborhood. The Majengo collapse also coincides with forecasts of rain in several parts of the country, including Nairobi and Kiambu, which are home to numerous tall buildings.
Poorly-constructed structures are particularly at risk during such weather conditions, as evidenced by the recent collapse of an eight-story illegal structure in Nairobi’s Kahawa West area. No one was hurt in the incident because the structure was scheduled to be demolished. Nairobi’s Deputy Governor James Muchiri later explained that experts had warned residents about the building’s impending collapse in the weeks before it happened.
“The building had been condemned by the Multi-Sectoral Agency Consultative Committee on Wednesday, and an enforcement order was issued for immediate evacuation,” NCA Director Maurice Akech said.
