MAMBOLEO, Kisumu, 25th Sept 2026 – The condemned building that partially collapsed at Gorofa Chafu in Mamboleo, Kisumu East Sub-County, will be demolished through a controlled process within the next 48 hours.
The directive followed a multi-agency meeting involving County Commissioner Mohammed Ramadhan Mwabuzo, the National Construction Authority (NCA), the Kisumu County Government City Management, the National Youth Service, and other agencies.
Speaking to the media at the site, Mwabuzo said inspections and investigations into the collapse had been completed.
“We have concluded that the building will be brought down. It will be demolished under a controlled process by a team of experts from Civil Scope Engineering Limited. They have already taken over the site and are setting up equipment. The permit has been issued,” Mwabuzo stated.
He mentioned that residents within a radius of 500 metres to one kilometre had been notified.
“We are formally informing all neighbours that within the next 48 hours, there will be a controlled demolition. They should inform their tenants and families. The process is very safe, but the impact will be felt across that distance, although it will not affect existing structures,” he added.
The demolition is scheduled for midday to ensure most residents are away, thereby minimising risks to those with health issues.
Mwabuzo clarified that other buildings marked with an ‘X’ in the area were not necessarily condemned.
“The X mark does not always indicate a building will be demolished. Sometimes contractors miss building code requirements, and the NCA marks the building for rectification. Those other buildings had issues that were later resolved,” he explained.
He further stated that a joint team of experts and sub-county security committees would inspect all marked buildings within the city ahead of the anticipated El Niño rains in mid-October.
“The county government is prepared; the national government is prepared. Let us not wait until a building collapses on your family. If you know your building is unsafe, report it early,” he warned.
NCA Regional Coordinator for Central Nyanza, Festus Mariera, attributed the collapse to non-compliance with regulations.
“As a result of not following regulations, you see one of the buildings is coming down here. We could have lost lives,” Mariera said.
He urged developers to employ NCA-accredited contractors, skilled workers, site supervisors, and professionals registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) and the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS).
“Don’t let any Tom, Dick, and Harry take over your building. Ask for their paperwork,” he advised.
He mentioned that a technical investigation committee would determine the responsibility of the owner and developers.
James Omondi, a tenant who lived on the ground floor, questioned why the building was not demolished earlier despite warnings.
“We are raising a red flag about why the NCA did not seize the opportunity to demolish the building after scrutiny. As tenants, we had no indicators to assess whether the building was safe for occupation,” Omondi said.
He claimed tenants were left homeless and property was still stored inside.
“All my property remains in the building, including my travel passport, electronics, documents, bedding, and clothes. I have not received any deposit refund from the landlord, and the landlord is unreachable,” he added.
Omondi also alleged that the landlord had sought a court order to prevent authorities from acting and called for intervention by disaster management authorities, the Red Cross, Kisumu County, and the NCA.
According to the County Commissioner, most tenants had recovered approximately 80-85% of their belongings, and deposits had been refunded, with final retrieval expected before the demolition.
