Social media content creators and citizen journalists have been warned against livestreaming rescue operations at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh.
Issuing a status briefing on the situation on the ground on Tuesday, October 27, Incident Police Commander Duncan Ochieng said the live broadcasts on TikTok and other platforms are putting the ongoing operation at risk.
He noted that while the reporting provides detailed updates on the incident, some creators at the scene have been going live on TikTok, and this is jeopardising the work of rescue teams.
“Some of us here have been doing live recording on TikTok and all these other platforms. This jeopardizes our operation, so I would urge you to desist from that so that the operation can be done in the most effective way. What we are doing here, we are doing it based on international standards,” Officer Ochieng stated.
Incident Police Commander Duncan Ochieng addressing the press on the status of the rescue mission from the Eastleigh building that collapsed on Friday, October 23.
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Since the incident on Friday, October 23, content creators, especially those with large followings across social media platforms, have flooded the scene to give their followers updates as the situation develops.
Some of them have been praised for providing in-depth analysis and coverage that surpass those of legacy media outlets.
That said, the commander urged content creators to stop the practice so the operation can run as effectively as possible.
He explained that the teams are working in accordance with international standards, with the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group closely monitoring their activities; hence, any act that would compromise the entire rescue mission would be in contravention of these standards.
Ochieng added that the group is providing technical advice, and well-wishers have donated equipment, including acoustic light detectors, which are now in use.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Red Cross says 30 out of 52 cases reported in its tracing book have already been closed after survivors were reunited with their families.
Head of the Kenya Red Cross Lower Eastern Region, George Ndono, said the last case was reported this morning, leaving a balance of 20 cases.
To further streamline the rescue mission, Chinese machinery and specialist teams have also joined the multi-agency operation following the collapse of an 18-story building under construction along 9th Street.
The Chinese construction equipment manufacturer XCMG Group deployed an excavator on the first day of the response.
A 25-tonne crane followed the next day, and both machines have been instrumental in clearing heavy concrete slabs and freeing trapped survivors.
Aftermath of the Eastleigh building collapse in Nairobi on October 23, 2026.
Photo
Kenya Red Cross