Bill to punish building owners who don’t conform to construction code

Dominic Rono, the Speaker of the Kericho County Assembly. [Nikko Tanui, Standard]

Building owners who construct buildings which do not conform to the building code risk being fined Sh200,000 or serve a year jail term. 

The proposals are contained in the proposal Kericho County Spatial Planning Bill, 2018, tabled at the County Assembly. 

Dominic Rono, the Speaker of the County Assembly said a person requiring to erect a new building or remodel an existing one must apply to the Directorate of spatial planning for approval of the plan in the prescribed form and pay the prescribed fee. 

“The purpose of the building, number of people to be accommodated, water supply, the mode of drainage and mean of disposal of waste water, the mean and capacity of thereof of ventilation and the provision made for public safety must be indicated,” he said. 

Rono, added that the Directorate may refuse to approve any building, proposed development, alterations or additional to existing building if the building is likely to become objectionable on environmental grounds.

“The proposed building or land use should not be unsuitable, injurious to amenities or detrimental in respect of appearance or dignity or fails to comply with physical planning requirements in regard to sitting, design, or to height, elevation, size shape structure or appearance,” he said. 

The county Assembly Speaker added that the Directorate will have powers to prohibit or control the use and development of land and building in the interests of proper and orderly development of its area. 

“It will also have powers to control or prohibit the subdivision of land or existing plots into smaller areas,” said Rono. 

It will also reserve and maintain all the land planned for open spaces, parks, and urban forests and green belts in accordance with the approved physical development plan.

“No private land within the county will be subdivided except in accordance with the requirements of a physical development plan approved in relation to that area,” said Rono.