Thirty-seven people, including senior Nairobi County officials, are to face prosecution over the collapse of a 16-storey building in Nairobi’s South C area that killed two people in January.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Friday, June 5, announced that it had reviewed the investigation file submitted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and found sufficient evidence to prosecute public officers, developers and engineers linked to the project.
“An independent and thorough analysis of the evidence contained in the inquiry file has determined that there is sufficient evidence of conviction to warrant the prosecution of several suspects connected to the incident,” the DPP said.
Among those approved for prosecution is suspended Nairobi County Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning and neglect of official duty.
The officer recently made headlines after detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) recovered about Ksh65 million in cash during a raid at his home in Machakos County as part of a corruption investigation.
The ODPP said the charges against him and other public officials arise from findings relating to the approval, oversight and regulatory processes associated with the construction project before its collapse.
According to the prosecution office, dozens of public officials will face charges of abuse of office and neglect of official duty, while several individuals directly linked to the development have been charged with manslaughter.
Other charges approved by the ODPP include making false documents, uttering false documents and commencing a project without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence.
The ODPP said the decision to charge was made in strict compliance with Article 157 of the Constitution, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act and the Decision to Charge Guidelines.
“The Decision to charge was made in strict compliance with Article 157 of the Constitution, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, the Decision to Charge Guidelines, and based on the evidence presented by investigators,” the statement read.
The ODPP further confirmed that the case will proceed as criminal proceedings commence.
The building, located along Kiganjo Muhoho Avenue in the South C Shopping Centre area of Nairobi, collapsed due to structural failure at about 4am on January 2, 2026, while still under construction.
The disaster triggered a large-scale, multi-agency search, rescue, and recovery operation involving the Kenya Red Cross, the Kenya Defence Forces Disaster Response Battalion, and the National Youth Service.
Operations continued for six days before rescue teams recovered the bodies of two security guards trapped beneath the rubble, including a 27-year-old man.