By Morris Aron

The cost of housing is set to drop significantly in the coming months after the enactment of a new set of building rules, which allow the use of cheaper and time efficient building technologies without developers first seeking special approvals.

According to a committee set up to review the Building Code, which is a document that dictates where, how and what to use when constructing a house, 90 per cent of the contentious issues have already been addressed paving way for the enactment of the new laws later in the year.

"The most urgent of the tasks involves incorporating new and cheaper building technologies, the use of locally available materials and enforcement of the new laws once adopted," says Dr Reuben Mutiso, a technical advisor to the committee.

A commercial block under construction. With the enactment of the revised Building Code, the incorporation of latest building technologies will significantly reduce construction time and cost. Photo: Martin Mukangu/Standard

Among the regulations recommended is the mass adoption of prefabricated housing concepts, which is widely used in the developed countries to increase supply of affordable housing.

Housing experts say the amendment of building laws to allow developers to, for example, adopt prefabricated housing technology without seeking special approval from local authorities will reduce the cost of construction by half. Furthermore, while cement will remain a key building ingredient, the incorporation of latest building technologies will significantly reduce the cost and the time it takes to build a house.

"Reviewing the Building Code will go a long way in abolishing legislation that has prohibited the use of cheaper building technologies," says Mwenda Makathimo, the chairman of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK).

Currently, it takes at least a year to complete a house due to the lengthy curative procedures and standards, but using interlocking blocks as those used in Malaysia takes a maximum of six months. Among the materials being considered by the review team include the UN-block, which is six times cheaper than concrete or stone blocks.

With the revised code, it will be legal to use bricks made from earth, interlocking blocks and environment-friendly materials to build a house.

Enacting the new laws will effectively transform the country from ‘brick and mortar’ obsession to a model that emphasises functionality. The gathering pace of the review process comes as a reprieve to housing industry players who blame the current Building Code (inherited from the British) for the slow and expensive process of construction.

Other proposals by the review team are regulations governing the construction of the seven elements of a house, including the process of laying the foundation and the standard thickness of walls and roofing, which best captures the changing technological times to make houses safer. There will also be legislations on fire exit locations, water and electricity distribution, lighting, ventilation, sewage and garbage disposal to ensure maximum comfort and safety of the inhabitants.

The new guidelines will also determine where in a specific locality one is allowed to construct nightclubs, a commercial centre or a school without interfering with local residents. As it stands, there are no express rules dictating where such premises should be located, leading to haphazard planning and confrontations.

A treted wooden house. Reviewing the building code will go a long way in abolishing legislation that has prohibited the use of cheaper building technologies

But perhaps the most controversial is a proposition to form an independent building law enforcement authority, effectively moving urban development control from the Ministry of Local Government to Housing. According to the proposition, the newly formed authority will have the right to demolish properties con contradicting the new building laws.

Currently, there are 103 laws governing building and construction activities. Being under various ministries, many often contradict each other making it hard to implement them. There have also been concerns among property owners as to whether there will be compensation for properties that got the necessary approvals but may be demolished for breaching the new laws.

Members of the review team have, however, downplayed possible conflict as a result of the proposal, saying the details of implementation will be discussed at a forum scheduled for early next month.

"Developers whose properties may be in breach of the new Building Code need not worry as we will propose a middle ground implementation and enforcement process where both parties concerned are addressed," says Mutiso.

The progress report indicates the seriousness of the parties concerned in addressing the contentious issues contained in the current Building Code. It puts to rest a growing concern by a section of housing industry players who have seen the process as a duplication of past initiatives that were never acted on upon, leading to poor policing that is being blamed for the cases of buildings collapsing and costing lives as developers take shortcuts to reduce costs.

In 1996, the Office of the President ordered a similar review process of the Building Code after the collapse of Sunbeam Supermarket, which killed 16 people. This was never acted upon.

"We are keen on coming up with a document which will address the current pitfalls and will even be keener on implementing the proposals," says Tirop Kosgey, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing.