Eastleigh Building Collapse Death Toll Rises After 6 More Bodies Recovered

The death toll from the building collapse in Eastleigh, Nairobi, has risen to eight after six more bodies were recovered from the rubble on Thursday, November 5.

In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) said multi-agency response teams were continuing search, rescue and recovery operations at the site of the incident, which occurred on October 23, 2026.

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The latest recovery brought the number of people confirmed dead to eight, while four others had been rescued alive since the building collapsed.

"The teams remain on the ground, working in coordination to reach areas beneath the rubble and account for all those who may have been caught in the collapse," the statement read.

The National Police Service disclosed that the six bodies recovered on Thursday belonged to four women and two men.

NPS expressed condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy and urged those searching for missing relatives to seek assistance through the Kenya Red Cross team stationed at the scene.

"We continue to support the multi-agency operation and call on members of the public to sustain their cooperation by keeping away from the affected site, following guidance from response teams, and allowing emergency personnel unhindered access," the statement added.

The NPS further advised families seeking information about missing relatives to use the emergency response channels established to assist those affected by the incident.

"The National Police Service extends its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones during this difficult time. The Service further encourages families seeking information about missing relatives to visit the Kenya Red Cross desk established at the scene or call the emergency response line on 1199," the statement concluded.

Elsewhere, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has explained why he neither visited the Eastleigh Building Collapse site nor issued a statement on the incident.

Speaking in the Senate on Thursday, he said he did not arrive on the site because he feared that he would impede the rescue operation.

Sifuna said that the National Police Service was forced to tear gas crowds that gathered on the scene for their own safety and that of those trapped in the building, and he did not want to add to the burden.

"I have always followed instructions from the Kenya Red Cross, and they advised us not to go to the sites because sometimes we actually impede rescue efforts. In Eastleigh, the police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd," he stated.

Sifuna added that he did not state because it would not address the main cause of the building collapse.

He argued that the collapse is a by-product of blatant corruption in the public service, and powerful investors who use friends in top leadership positions to circumvent construction laws and policies.

"As the Nairobi Senator, I have gotten to a point where it is very difficult for me to stand up every time something like this happens to issue a standard statement condoling the families; we must confront the monster, which is impunity," he added.