Nairobi, Kenya- It was supposed to be a routine building demolition—until it wasn’t.
A tragic twist emerged this week when Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir confirmed that a man died just moments before the planned demolition of an 11-storey building on April 9.
His name was Yussuf Ali Abdi, and he entered the doomed structure minutes before it collapsed.
In a press briefing on April 10, the governor revealed the incident was caught on CCTV footage, which showed Abdi entering the building with the intention of inspecting it for a potential purchase.
What followed was a structural failure that turned a prospective property viewing into a fatal accident.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, participated in the demolition of an eleven-storey building in Mombasa County on 09 April 2025.See more: .shorturl.at/MKzjG
Tragedy Before the Takedown
“He was there to inspect the house, with the aim of buying it,” Nassir stated, adding that the footage clearly shows Abdi inside the building just before it caved in.
It’s a chilling revelation that’s raised questions not only about the safety of condemned buildings but also about how access was granted to such a risky structure in the first place.
The officer who opened the door for Abdi will now be questioned, according to the governor, and the Lands Department has been tasked with clearing the immediate area where Abdi was last seen.
While the collapse took place before the scheduled demolition, it has added urgency to ongoing conversations about construction safety and urban planning in Mombasa, where demolition efforts have intensified in recent months.
Mombasa’s Sinking 10-Storey Building Successfully Demolished in Controlled Blast by KDFA 10-storey building in Mombasa, which had been visibly sinking and deemed structurally unsafe, was finally brought down today in a successful controlled demolition.The Kenya Defence
Demolition Completed—but At a Cost
Despite the tragic loss of life, the official demolition of the unstable high-rise went forward.
Governor Nassir commended the multi-agency operation for successfully bringing down the structure and thanked Mombasa residents for cooperating during the high-risk procedure.
He also gave a nod to the police for crowd control efforts, noting that some residents were dangerously close to the site, taking videos and snapping photos. “We appreciate the police for managing the scene. Lives could have been lost from careless curiosity,” he remarked.
As a result of the incident, the county is doubling down on policy. Any contractors involved in such buildings will now require clearance from the National Construction Authority, and applications for extensions or alterations will be suspended during investigations.
Hospitals in the area that were temporarily shut down for safety are already being cleaned and are expected to reopen by April 11.
In a bid to avoid future tragedies, Nassir announced that demolition operations will now be conducted 24/7, thanks to new systems put in place by his administration.
The goal? Minimize risk, maximize accountability, and prevent unauthorized access to hazardous buildings.
Further, those found responsible for unsafe constructions will be placed on compulsory leave as investigations proceed.
“We must learn from this tragedy,” Nassir said, pointing to a future where building safety and transparency aren’t just policies—they’re non-negotiables.
