A tragic incident occurred on Monday, October 6, in Nairobi’s Kayole area after debris from an adjacent construction site collapsed onto Emmanuel New Life Learning Centre, killing two pupils and leaving two others with serious injuries.
According to eyewitness reports, the pupils were on their lunch break and had gone to wash their hands at a nearby outlet when heavy construction debris suddenly crashed down from the neighbouring site.
The falling bricks and concrete fragments struck the learners, fatally injuring two of them on the spot.
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Photos from the scene showed a chaotic environment, with chunks of broken bricks and debris scattered across the school compound.
The area, surrounded by several buildings still under construction, has raised serious concerns about the safety of schoolchildren in densely built urban neighbourhoods.
The two injured pupils were initially rushed to Uwezo Clinic for first aid before being referred to Mama Lucy Hospital for further treatment.
Authorities have since launched investigations into the incident to establish whether the construction site complied with the required safety and regulatory standards.
The Nairobi County government is expected to take action against those responsible if found to have violated building regulations.
The tragedy comes just months after the Nairobi County Assembly enacted the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Developments Act, 2025, aimed at addressing the proliferation of unapproved structures across the city.
Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo, had previously noted that the initiative was designed to ensure only buildings meeting minimum safety and planning standards are regularised.
Under the law, landlords and developers found constructing unsafe or unapproved buildings face enforcement under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, which allows authorities to halt construction or demolish unsafe structures.
As families mourn the loss of the two young pupils, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the urgent need for stricter enforcement of building safety regulations, especially around schools and public spaces.