Four workers injured as former Club Avenida building collapses on Moi Avenue, Nairobi

Four workers were injured when the former Club Avenida building on Moi Avenue in Nairobi's Central Business District collapsed during a night-time demolition on 16–17 October 2026, Citizen Digital reported on 17 October.

Nairobi City County Fire and Rescue responded at about 12:11am and handed command to the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), the report said. Teams, including canine units, finished primary and secondary searches by 1:50am. As of 12:30pm on 17 October, no deaths had been reported and all 24 workers on site were accounted for.

Three of the injured workers were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Of the four injured, one was in critical condition and three were stable, an NDMU official said, according to Citizen Digital.

Nairobi County Executive Member for Environment and Urban Planning Patrick Mbogo said, as quoted by The Standard, that the collapse happened during planned structural demolition to prepare the site for redevelopment. A headcount confirmed everyone on site was accounted for, he said: "There are no fatalities."

The building stands next to MKU Union Towers, KBC reported, and Geoffrey Mosiria, the county's Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, confirmed the collapse on his official X account.

Mosiria said the collapse happened at night, when there was little foot traffic on the avenue, which may have limited the casualties. He asked county engineers to establish the cause, to determine whether qualified experts guided the demolition, and to verify that all necessary demolition approvals were obtained. "I call upon our county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation into this specific demolition," he said, as quoted by The Star and Citizen Digital.

He also urged developers to follow county laws during construction and demolition and to work closely with county engineers.

Citizen Digital reported that preliminary accounts suggest supporting metal beams on the less stable side of the building may have been cut, but the cause had not been confirmed. Machinery has been deployed to clear the debris, and the county said a structural safety assessment must be done before any further work at the site.

Mwakilishi, a news site for the Kenyan diaspora, reported that the building had been cordoned off several weeks earlier in preparation for redevelopment and that Club Avenida, an entertainment venue, closed earlier in 2026. It said Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris called for stronger enforcement of building regulations and greater accountability among developers and contractors.

The Star, citing police, said the four injured were all working at the site. Police and emergency responders went to the scene, where several people were initially feared trapped under the debris, the paper reported.