Unsafe Mombasa building finally demolished after evacuation
The evacuation order came after cracks were observed on the building’s columns and the first floor caved in.
An unsafe 11-storey building in Mombasa County that had shown signs of sinking has now been demolished.
Videos online show the white building tumbling down, spreading debris and dust around the area.
The demolition of the building followed an evacuation order issued on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir.
The evacuation order came after cracks were observed on the building’s columns and the first floor caved in.
The building, which stood at Lighthouse, Kilifi Corner, had raised alarm when passersby noticed it swaying and alerted the authorities last week.
Emergency teams were quickly deployed to the area, and the building was declared unsafe.
The governor said the safety of the public was the main concern and that no one should be within a 1.2-kilometre radius of the site during the demolition exercise.
“People should not go to work within a 1.2 kilometre radius of the building. Everyone will have to vacate,” Nassir had said.
In a post after the demolition on Wednesday, April 9, Nassir said the process was successfully completed.
"A technical assessment is currently ongoing, and the findings will be shared with the public in due course. We urge members of the public to maintain the safety cordon and avoid the area until further notice," he said.
The Kenya Defence Forces had also been deployed to Mombasa to support emergency efforts during the demolition.
Their deployment was made official through a special edition of the Kenya Gazette by Defence Cabinet Secretary and Chairperson of the Defence Council, Soipan Tuya on Tuesday.