Members of the public seeking services at the iconic Nyayo House in Nairobi have been advised to use the stairs after the escalators broke down.
The government says it is in the process of replacing the old and broken-down lifts and has, in the meantime, advised the public to use the alternative access to the 27-floor building.
However, the state has not given timelines on when the new escalators will be in place, as staff have also been asked to rely on the stairs.
“Lifts at Nyayo House have broken down. This is to inform all clients and staff to use using stairs as we wait for a permanent solution as soon as possible. Please bear with us,” Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said in an internal memo dated 21st November 2025.
Nyayo House hosts several key government agencies, among them the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, which is responsible for the issuance of passports and other registration and travel documents.
Interior Affairs and Coordination Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has an office there where he works when handling immigration affairs.
The Immigration PS, Director of Immigration, Director of E-Citizen, Nyayo Tea Zones, as well as the Nairobi Regional Offices are housed in the same building.
National Environment Management Authority (Nema) regional offices, as well as Nairobi City County agriculture, livestock and health offices, are also located there.
The use of stairs will affect most disabled persons who cannot manage to walk up the stairs. The law requires public buildings to provide access to persons with disabilities.
Nyayo House is situated at the corner of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue in the Central Business District and often experiences huge human traffic due to the number of people seeking services such as passports, work permits, citizenship, etc.
Earlier this year, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that the lifts at both Harambee House and Nyayo House, which host the Office of the President, have been constantly breaking down despite the huge allocations for their maintenance.
She revealed that the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, and the Nairobi Regional Commissioner made payments amounting to Sh16,767,359 for the maintenance of the elevators in the two buildings over a period of two years.
However, the Auditor General said that despite the payments made in August 2023, an inspection conducted in September 2024 revealed that two lifts at Harambee House and two lifts at Nyayo House were still not operational.
“The State Department entered into a framework contract for the monthly maintenance of lifts at Nyayo House and Harambee House on 14 August 2023 for a period of two years at a contract sum of Sh8,978,000,” Gathungu’s report states.
It added: “During the year under review, the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services and the National Regional Commissioner made payments amounting to Sh588,260, Sh4,859,099, and Sh1,320,000 respectively, all totalling Sh16,767,359 to the contractor for lift maintenance using the same contracts.”
by GEOFFREY MOSOKU
