A four-storey building under construction collapsed in Kisumu's Mamboleo area on Monday morning, injuring eight people. The Kenya Red Cross Society reported that its teams, working with a multi-agency response team, attended to the injured. Six people were treated at the scene, while two others in critical condition were taken to hospital. All residents of the affected building were successfully evacuated.
The building, which housed about 40 families, was still under construction when one side of the L-shaped structure began sinking and eventually collapsed. Residents reported being trapped inside as rushing water and debris blocked their escape. Alex Bob, a ground-floor resident, said he was jolted awake by rushing water that carried a gas cylinder and forced open his door. He spent hours trapped inside before creating an opening using construction material.
Other residents also recounted their harrowing experiences. Rose Amondi said she jumped from the first floor after the building started caving in, injuring her wrist and hips. Another tenant, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was forced to come down using a ladder that was used to rescue them from the second floor. The incident has been described as traumatic by the tenants.
Fred Mariwa, the Kisumu governor's adviser on partnerships, resource mobilisation, and urban development, said the city received an emergency call at around 6am reporting the collapse. He said ambulances and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. Two people who had been trapped were rescued, while five others sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital.
Mariwa said multi-agency teams, including the National Construction Authority (NCA), Kenya Power, the City of Kisumu rescue team, police, and the Kenya Red Cross, were at the scene assessing the situation. He said demolition of the remaining structure was likely to be recommended because one side of the L-shaped building had already started sinking. Authorities were also investigating whether the building had the necessary approvals.
Mariwa added that construction appeared to have continued despite previous interventions by the NCA and the county planning department to stop construction at the site. He said the additional weight from ongoing construction could have contributed to the collapse, although investigations were still ongoing. The authorities had not yet located the building's owner but had spoken to the caretaker, who was expected to assist them in tracing him.
The incident has raised concerns about building safety and regulations in Kisumu. The city official said documents presented to officials were being analysed to establish whether they were authentic and whether construction had followed plans approved by the county government. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine the cause of the collapse and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Key points
- Eight people were injured in the building collapse, with two in critical condition.
- The building was still under construction and had not been completed.
- Authorities are investigating whether the building had the necessary approvals and whether construction followed approved plans.
