Contractors face tough rules to curb buildings collapse
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“The ministry is also reviewing Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act to improve service delivery and create a pool of professionals for the East Africa construction industry,” Public Works minister Chris Obure said.
Foreign building firms face new restrictions, including a requirement to be at least 30 per cent owned by Kenyans and to hold only one contract at a time. The restrictions are part of proposals in the National Construction Authority (NCA) draft regulations that were released yesterday for discussion by stakeholders.
NCA will be in charge of accrediting firms and professionals including technicians such as masons and plumbers to undertake local projects.
The agency will only register entities to undertake local projects after they produce three-year financial statements, show track record and prove the qualification of technical people.
“This will finally bring sanity to this segment and mark the end of shoddy or incomplete works that have led to collapse of buildings,” acting Public Works permanent secretary Gideon Mulyungi told a stakeholders conference in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The authority will replace local authorities in the approval and supervision of building plans. Lack of capacity in the councils has led to the proliferation of unplanned and substandard structures.
Recent surveys by the Architectural Association of Kenya shows that many buildings in urban areas do not meet safety standards.
World Bank Group’s Doing Business survey has consistently ranked Kenya’s as a top performer globally in licensing constructions.
Over the last 10 years, the sector has registered a 400 per cent growth in its contribution to the economy from Sh40 billion to Sh200 billion last year.
The NCA’s board chairman Steven Oundo, said the first task would be to undertake a national audit of skills, including the middle-level technical workers and consultants such as quantity surveyors.
“The skill survey will determine how we fit in the county and national government structures to ensure construction processes and procedures are uniform,” said Mr Oundo.
Local authorities regulate constructions based on bylaws, something that has been blamed for lax standards.
Apart from housing, NCA would also regulate the construction of other structures like bridges, dams and sewer systems.
The rules are expected instil discipline in design, procurement and management of infrastructural projects.
“The ministry is also reviewing Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act to improve service delivery and create a pool of professionals for the East Africa construction industry,” Public Works minister Chris Obure said.
