Nairobi — The National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) has concluded the search, rescue and recovery operation at the collapsed South C building where two bodies were recovered.
NDMU announced Thursday it had handed over the site to the Lang'ata County Commissioner to secure it for investigations with previously closed roads reopened to the public.
Incident Commander and NDMU Director Dr Duncan Onyango Ochieng said all critical incident objectives had been achieved, marking the end of active emergency operations at the site of the 14-storey building collapse.
"First and foremost, we wish to confirm that the search, rescue and recovery operation has been concluded, following the successful recovery of all the two suspected victims from the collapsed 14-storey building," Dr Ochieng said.
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He said the operation was conducted "with professionalism, care, and strict adherence to safety," and with due consideration for the affected families.
Dr Ochieng conveyed condolences to the families of the victims, noting that from the first day of the response, "the safety, dignity, and recovery of the victims remained our highest priority."
"We acknowledge the pain and uncertainty endured by the families during this period and wish to assure them that the response was guided by a firm commitment to bring closure, uphold dignity, and support the affected community," he said.
Open for business
With the conclusion of the operation, Dr Ochieng said key access roads that had been closed to facilitate rescue efforts have now been reopened and normal traffic flow restored.
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Businesses within the South C Shopping Centre and the surrounding area have also resumed operations.
"Marking an important step towards restoration of normalcy for the South C community," he said.
He added that the incident site has now been formally handed over to the Nairobi South Borough County Commissioner, working with the County Security Committee and other relevant agencies, to facilitate investigations, site management and any subsequent administrative or legal processes.
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"With the conclusion of active search, rescue and recovery operations, the incident site has been formally handed over... to facilitate further investigations, site management, and any subsequent administrative or legal processes, in line with the laws of Kenya," Dr Ochieng said.
He said the active search and recovery phase, which he led as Incident Commander, has now been formally closed, with further processes to be coordinated by the County Commissioner as emergency teams demobilise.
Dr Ochieng praised the multi-agency response that made the operation possible, thanking Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams, heavy equipment operators, NDMU personnel and technical partners who worked under difficult conditions.
"This operation was made possible through strong multi-agency coordination and collective commitment," he said.
He also thanked the South C community and the general public for their patience and cooperation, and commended the media for what he termed responsible and accurate coverage of the incident.
"Your role in disseminating verified information helped manage public expectations, counter misinformation, and support overall incident coordination," he said.
"As we transition from response to recovery and investigation, we remain committed to accountability, transparency, and continued collaboration with all relevant stakeholders," Dr Ochieng added.
The 14-storey building collapsed on January 2, triggering a multi-agency emergency response and raising renewed concerns over building safety and regulatory enforcement in Nairobi.
