Naivas Supermarket Ruaraka Branch Closed Over Structural Collapse Fears

The Naivas Supermarket in Ruaraka, Nairobi, has been shut down after the building hosting it showed signs of potential collapse.

The structure was closed on December 8, 2024, and marked as dangerous, with yellow tape placed around it to warn residents and passersby.

An adjacent building has also been declared unsafe for occupation.

Once a hub of activity, the building now stands deserted, with businesses in and around it also closed.

However, some residents have been seen moving past the marked area while going about their daily activities.

Neither the National Construction Authority nor the Nairobi County Government has commented on the closure or the state of the building.

This closure comes less than two months after a seven-story building collapsed in Kahawa West, Nairobi.

The apartment, located in Roysambu Constituency, had previously been marked for demolition due to structural concerns.

In the aftermath of the collapse, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja stated that precautions had been taken, and occupants had already vacated the premises.

The building had reportedly been constructed without approval from the county government.

“Casualties are expected to be minimal as the building had been condemned and evacuations affected,” said Sakaja.

The Kahawa West building, which housed more than 60 tenants, was evacuated before the collapse.

While most individuals were accounted for, one casualty was reported a middle-aged woman who sustained injuries from falling debris.

The police revealed that residents had reported signs of an impending collapse, prompting authorities to urge immediate evacuation.

Videos of the building showing structural instability had circulated on social media days before the incident.

This is the latest in a series of building collapses in Nairobi and its environs. In May 2024, a five-story building in Uthiru, Kiambu County, also came down shortly after tenants were evacuated.