Kenya to develop construction policy to save buildings

Kenya plans to develop a construction policy to boost the safety of buildings in the country, the industry regulator said on Tuesday.
National Construction Agency (NCA) CEO, Daniel Manduku, told a media briefing in Nairobi that rapid urbanisation created huge demand for houses which made some building contractors not to adhere to strict safety standards.
Manduku said “the construction policy will better streamline the construction sector by creating a systematic framework for all players to boost the safety and quality of construction works in the country.”
The announcement came barely one month after the Nairobi county government announced plans to demolish at least 200 buildings because government safety experts considered them unsafe.
Government data indicates that approximately 100 people die due to collapsed buildings in 2017.
Manduku noted that in the past decade, the construction industry posted remarkable expansion and contribution to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
He said the new construction policy would help to harness the current gains and to further promote the expansion of the industry for maximum sustainable socio-economic contribution.
He added that the lack of construction industry policy was a hindrance to effective co-ordination efforts for the overall safety of the construction industry.
The CEO said achievement of Kenya’s national Economic Blue Print Vision 2030, heavily hinges on a dependable, robust, sanitised and competitive construction sector that adapts well to the ever-changing market and technology influx in the regional and global economy. (Xinhua/NAN)