Preparations for the controlled demolitions of a 11-storey building that began sinking last week at Kilifi Corner in Fayaz Estate, along Abdel Nasser Road in Mombasa are in high gear.
Mombasa Governor Abulswamad Nasir on Wednesday April 9, 2025, thanked the Mombasa residents for their cooperation, saying majority have temporarily vacated, and the county remains on course to restore normalcy.
In addition, Nasir urged the few who are yet to vacate to do so immediately and exit the safety radius, saying everything is under control.
The exercise is being led by the Kenya Defence Forces that was deployed on Tuesday.
KDF deployment in Mombasa was formalized through a Gazette notice issued on April 7, 2025, by Defence Cabinet Secretary Roselinda Soipan Tuya.
In a statement, KDF says the Ministry of Interior and National Administration requested assistance through the National Disaster Operation Center (NDOC) in the demolition of the building.
KDF personnel are set to provide logistical and engineering support during the demolition, including deployment of technical expertise.
The operation is being carried out in close coordination with the County Government of Mombasa, the National Police Service, and the National Youth Service (NYS), ensuring a collaborative approach for effective execution of the task.
The involvement of KDF in this exercise fulfills its secondary constitutional mandate; to assist civil authorities in times of emergency and national need.
Meanwhile, the Mombasa governor issued new directions on Tuesday, including calling for businesses within a 1.2 kilometer radius of the collapsing building to steer clear of their premises for at least eight hours on Wednesday.
This directive affects several businesses including the popular Cityblue Creekside Hotel and Marikiti Market.
Also, patients at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital were evacuated. Of the 504 patients; 380 were discharged. The remaining 124, including 8 in intensive care, were relocated to Utange and Port Reitz Hospitals.
The building, which started to sink on April 2, had raised major safety concerns for residents and businesses in the area. Authorities declared the building structurally not suitable for habitation, posing an imminent threat to human life and property.
This was after a detailed structural assessment by a multi-agency team, which included the County Department of Lands, Urban Planning and Housing, the National Building Inspectorate, the Kenya Defence Forces, and other relevant authorities.
Written by Callen Omae, TV47
