NAIROBI, Kenya- A building under construction collapsed before dawn on Wednesday at the busy Racecourse/Kirinyaga Road junction, leaving six workers injured and raising fresh questions about safety compliance in Nairobi’s construction sector.
Police say the incident happened at around 4am on February 11, 2026 — at a time when most of the city was asleep. But inside the construction site, 18 workers were on duty.
And then, suddenly, concrete gave way.
Six Injured, All Workers Accounted For
Central Police Commander Stephene Nyakombo confirmed that emergency teams responded swiftly and rescued those trapped beneath the debris.
“We have so far rescued and accounted for all of the workers. Out of the 18, six were injured while others were rescued with no injuries,” Nyakombo said.
One of the injured sustained serious wounds. The rest were treated for varying degrees of injuries.
The scene was cordoned off as rescue teams combed through the rubble — a tense but ultimately controlled operation. No fatalities were reported.
A relief, yes. But not reassurance.
Why Was Construction Happening at 4am?
That’s now the central question.
Nyakombo said investigators will seek answers, including from county officials, on how and why the building was being constructed at night.
“We will seek answers from among the county officials,” he said.
Night construction isn’t automatically illegal. But it does raise compliance questions — approvals, supervision, structural integrity checks.
And this isn’t an isolated incident.
This incident adds to the latest collapsed building in Nairobi and raises concerns about safety and enforcement of building standards and regulations.
Nairobi’s Construction Question
Nairobi’s skyline is changing fast. Cranes. Scaffolding. New high-rises every month.
But behind the growth is a recurring problem: building safety.
From poor materials to weak enforcement, experts have repeatedly warned that gaps in oversight can turn construction sites into danger zones.
