National Construction Authority seeks more regulatory teeth

Daniel Manduku Executive Director National Construction Authority. PHOTO: Wilberforce Okwiri

The construction industry regulator is seeking powers to arrest and prosecute the owners of buildings flagged as risky and in danger of collapsing.

The National Construction Authority (NCA) has argued that such powers would significantly bring down incidents of collapsing buildings by halting construction or evacuating occupants.

Cases of buildings coming down have risen, causing many deaths.

NCA said it is seeking an amendment to the Construction Act to give it enforcement powers.

This would be through the attachment of police officers to the authority as well as giving it prosecutorial powers to enable it to arrest developers putting up buildings that do not meet standards.

The executive director Daniel Manduku, said NCA had embarked on the law review process jointly with the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing before the house adjourned for the General Election.

He said the association would make a presentation on the proposed changes once the House committees are constituted.

“We want to change the laws so that we can get power to enforce the Act without necessarily relying on other agencies. We can have policemen attached to NCA and also lawyers that can prosecute in a court of law,” said Mr Manduku yesterday when NCA received ISO certification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards.

“We believe these changes will significantly increase safety on construction sites,” he said.

Cases of collapsing buildings, either during construction or after completion, have increasingly become a concern, with many claiming the lives of construction workers and occupants.

Last week, a three-storey building under construction collapsed in Kisii County, killing at least seven workers and injuring more than a dozen. Recently, a seven-storey building in Nairobi’s Embakasi area reportedly sunk into its foundation.

Increased oversight

NCA also wants increased oversight on all players in the building industry. Manduku said the industry involves numerous entities regulated by different laws.

These include property developers, architects, contractors, environmental management bodies and county governments.

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