Officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) could not hide their joy after successfully bringing down a condemned storey building in Mombasa County through controlled detonation.
The 11-storey building was on the verge of collapse after developing cracks in its foundation and was brought down by the military officers using explosives on Wednesday afternoon, which took nearly four hours.
During the demolition process, the KDF officers were deployed to the inner area of the building premises, while officers from the National Police Service (NPS) were deployed to restrict access to the area.
Hours before the process, residents were urged to adjust their travel plans, with the locals forced to evacuate to safer places while schools and hospitals were closed temporarily.
The Nyali bridge, which links Mombasa Island to the country’s mainland, was also closed from Wednesday morning at around 7am on both ends. Moments later, a loud single blast was heard from a distance to finalise the demolition process.
Minutes after the demolition, the KDF officers began singing to express their joy. A military officer led his colleagues in a song as they clapped cheerfully while other government officers watched closely.
The officers then proceeded to take a group photo, during which journalists and Mombasa County government officials were allowed to access the site.
However, the blast had initially been delayed for minutes after reports emerged that some residents had not yet evacuated to safer areas. Police officers were deployed and helped the residents move out.
Meanwhile, the KDF officers were formally deployed to the region to assist in the emergency response on Tuesday, April 8, through a gazette notice by Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya.
According to the gazette notice, the military officers would be working jointly with officers from the police service to ensure the safety of the residents during the demolition process.
"Under 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 of April, 2025, the Kenya Defence Forces deployed to assist the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the County Government of Mombasa," read part of the notice by Defence CS.
"This is in response to the emergency towards an eleven-storey building situated at Kilifi Comer, Fayaz Estate, along Abdel Nasser Road, Mombasa County, that began sinking on 2nd April 2025, endangering adjacent residential and commercial buildings," Tuya added.
