You should appreciate professional services if you intend to have property then

Cosmas Maweu, Chairman of the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors Kenya and Chief Architect, Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development — Public Works Directorate

By PETER MUIRURI

1. The Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (Boraqs) has a register of about 1,400 architects and 700 quantity surveyors in a population of 40 million. What accounts for the low number of professionals?

There are very few universities training architects and quantity surveyors. Architecture requires high academic grades. It takes six years at the university for the degree and further two years for postgraduate training (pupilage) before attempting our professional examinations.

On the other hand, quantity surveying takes four years for a degree and two years post graduate training before attempting the professional exams.

The course is not very popular in the society like some other courses resulting in low intake.

There are also very few lecturers for these courses because many of those who are registered professionals opt for practicing in their private firms.

2. What effect has this had on the built environment?

There are many quacks in the industry, resulting in unplanned developments and poorly designed and built buildings.

3. What are some success stories in the body’s 80 years of existence?

The register of architects has grown from zero Kenyan professionals in 1934 to 1,400 currently. Quantity surveyors are 700 — all Kenyans — again from zero in 1934. The board has introduced continuous professional development programmes whereby our professionals are trained on the new developments in materials, processes and technology.

We have been able to negotiate a Mutual Recognition Agreement with East African States so that these professionals can practise in the region without legal challenges.

The board has registered persons represented in key offices such as Public Procurement Oversight Authority and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Authority.

4. Any challenges...?

The current Act provides for a degree as a minimum qualification before qualifying for the professional examinations, leaving some “technicians” to freely engage the public uncontrolled.

This has increased the number of quacks. There is little financial capacity because the board’s only source of income is the annual registration fees. Members of the general public think professional services are too expensive.

5. In the past, buildings under construction have collapsed in various parts of the country, mainly due to professional negligence. Where does the buck stop?

None of the buildings designed and supervised by our professionals has ever collapsed. Some developers engage a professional on design and pay them up to that level then give the same drawings to the local fundi or quack contractors to build.

These people use substandard materials. The result is the building coming down resulting in deaths, injuries and economic losses.

6. How do you plan to weed out the quacks?

We are about to complete the review of the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act that will weed them out. This will include establishing an inspectorate that is intended to get them out the market.

We are also establishing a team to inform the public the advantages of engaging professionals in every project, whether huge or small.

Some people have committed suicide after losing millions of shillings in a project that ended up tumbling down. We have advised commercial banks not to finance any project that is not done by our professionals.

7. There are few institutions offering courses in the built environment despite the growing demand. What are your intervention measures?

The board has been challenging technical institutions to apply for necessary approvals to start teaching architecture and quantity surveying.

Institutions currently providing this training are encouraged to enroll parallel students to grow the numbers.

We have approved a two-tier degree at universities to create some break for students of architecture.

Students are now graduating in Fourth Year. But for one to qualify for professional examinations, which lead to registration, they must go back and study for two more years.

8. The general public is usually apathetic toward the profession; in fact, few know what initials Boraqs stand for. Have you ever considered conducting a public awareness campaign?

In a few months time, we shall be launching a strategic plan that includes public awareness programme.

We intend to encourage county governments to promote the courses at the county level. We also want to sensitise the public about architects and quantity surveyors.

 

9. There are perceptions that successive governments may not have given the profession full support in terms of policy formulation, leading to a number leaving the country to greener pastures. Is this the case currently?

Our economy was not been doing well from early 1990s to mid 2000. When the country’s economy is not stable, one of the worst affected sectors is the construction industry.

During this period, many of our building and construction professionals went beyond our borders to survive, others changed careers.

However, from 2005, we recorded a good number of returning professionals who started to practise in the country. We have also seen a lot of interest in foreign professionals coming to seek registration in Kenya.

10. Developers have rooted for a one-stop-shop for procuring the prerequisite approvals that are currently issued by different government and county agencies. When should we expect this to be a reality?

The current leadership has introduced a pilot project for a one-stop-shop, Huduma Centre, where all government services are provided.

In future, all government services are expected to be provided from such centres.

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