Tuya gazettes KDF deployment to oversee building demolition in Mombasa

Defence CS Soipan Tuya at the pre-deployment training for African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in Samburu County on February 28, 2025. /FILE

Defence CS Soipan Tuya has gazetted the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces personnel to oversee Wednesday's controlled demolition of a structurally compromised building in Mombasa.

The nine-storey building will be brought down from 8am through a controlled explosion.

"Pursuant to Article 241 (3) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, read with sections 31 (1) (a), (c) and 34 (2) of the Kenya Defence Forces Act, notice is given that on the 7th April, 2025, the Kenya Defence Forces was deployed to assist the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the County Government of Mombasa in the emergency response towards a nine-storeyed building situated at Kilifi Corner, Fayaz Estate along Abdel Nasser Road, Mombasa county, that begun sinking on 2nd April, 2025, endangering adjacent residential and commercial buildings," Tuya's notice dated April 7, 2025, reads.

In a statement, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said the decision to demolition the building was arrived at following a comprehensive assessment by a multisectoral agency team comprising the County Department of Lands, Urban Planning and Housing, the National Building Inspectorate, the County Security Team, the National Construction Authority, the State Department of Public Works, and the KDF.

He said the building exhibited severe foundational compromise due to unapproved borehole drilling into the foundation, with ground floor columns collapsing by approximately three meters.

"The building has been declared structurally unsound and poses an imminent risk to life and property. In light of this, a controlled demolition has been scheduled to avert potential catastrophe," Nassir said.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

As a safety precaution, he said 124 patients, including eight in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the nearby Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital currently have been relocated to Utange and Port Reitz Hospitals.

Another batch of 380 patients were due to be discharged Tuesday, he said. 

Nassir said that in adherence to international safety standards for explosive demolition, mandatory evacuation has also been done in areas within a 1.2-kilometre radius from the site.

The radius extends from Digo Road to Hospital Road, Jomo Kenyatta Road to Mwembe Tayari to Kava Shibu Road, Faza Road to Kisauni Road, Tononoka Road to Muslim Road, and Tana Street to Wajir Road, stretching up to Solomon Castle Hotel and Ronald Ngala Road.

All traders within the marked zone were directed to vacate by 2pm Tuesday as a non-negotiable safety requirement.

"All affected residents must vacate their premises by 6 am tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. The demolition will proceed at 8am," Nassir said.

Further, as a safety measure, the governor said that the Nyali Bridge will be closed to all traffic for one hour prior to the scheduled demolition and urge commuters to adjust their travel plans accordingly.

Nassir said the KDF personnel will man the inner security cordon while a secondary perimeter will be enforced by the National Police Service and the county Inspectorate.

"All county emergency response staff currently on leave are hereby recalled with immediate effect," Nassir said and directed subcounty administrators and Community Health Promoters to carry out household-level sensitisation to ensure full compliance.

He said Port Reitz Hospital has been designated as the primary emergency response centre in the unlikely event of any injuries with ambulances from the county government, Kenya Navy and Kenya Red Cross on standby.

"Following the successful demolition, clearing of debris and restoration of the surrounding area will commence under civilian oversight once the military declares the site safe. Let us cooperate fully with the relevant authorities and ensure that we emerge from this operation without injury, without loss, and with renewed vigilance in how we build and inhabit our city," Nassir said as he called for full public cooperation.