NAIROBI, Kenya- A roadside billboard collapsed along Ngong Road in the early hours of Sunday, trapping motorists and forcing an emergency response by county and national agencies.
The incident occurred at around 2:00 am, according to a statement by Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi’s Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement, who said he came across the scene while passing along the busy corridor.
Mosiria said the fallen billboard had pinned an Uber vehicle, with the driver and a passenger trapped underneath.
He alerted the Nairobi County Emergency Response Team, prompting the deployment of traffic police and an ambulance.
Both victims were evacuated from the scene and taken to hospital.
Their condition was not immediately disclosed.
NIGHT ACCIDENTS OR ORGANISED CRIME ON OUR ROADS?At around 2:00 a.m. today along Ngong Road, I encountered a road accident involving a fallen billboard that had trapped people underneath. Disturbingly, instead of assisting the victims or calling for emergency help, a group of
Traffic was temporarily disrupted as emergency teams worked to clear the debris and reopen the road.
Mosiria also reported that unknown individuals were at the scene before emergency responders arrived, allegedly cutting metallic parts from the fallen billboard before fleeing on a motorbike.
The claims have not yet been independently confirmed by police.
A driver and passengers escaped with injuries after a billboard fell on a taxi at 2am along Ngong Road, Nairobi.
The collapse has raised renewed questions about the safety, inspection and maintenance of outdoor advertising structures, particularly along major highways such as Ngong Road, which carries heavy traffic day and night.
Nairobi has in recent years recorded multiple incidents involving falling structures and roadside infrastructure failures, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of building and advertising regulations and regular structural audits by county authorities .
As of Sunday morning, there was no official police statement detailing the cause of the billboard collapse or confirming whether investigations had been opened.
County officials say further assessments are expected as authorities review compliance by advertising firms and contractors responsible for erecting billboards along major roads.
