AAK launches awards to raise standards in construction

By Ferdinand Mwongela

The construction industry has been on the receiving end — in praise and criticism in equal measure— over the past few years.

The Quantity Surveyors Chapter (QSC) of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), however, hopes a planned construction industry awards of excellence to be held this month, will usher in better days for the industry.

Dubbed the Construction Industry Awards of Excellence 2010 to be held on July 30 will recognise good performers and raise the standards in the industry.

"We want to give people something to look forward to by raising the standards in the industry," QSC Chairman Haron Nyakundi said.

He is confident the awards will motivate industry stakeholders to give their best and rid the sector of quacks.

"We are looking for excellence in work, leadership, innovation, corporate social responsibility or technology," said Nyakundi.

If this is observed, the construction industry should see an improvement coming from days when quack contractors have cost the country’s economy massive losses.

Last year, following reports of houses under construction collapsing and killing workers, AAK raised the red flag and pointed out that most of Nairobi’s houses were shaky and were an earthquake of magnitude five on the Richter scale strike, it would leave about 80 per cent of the buildings in the CBD destroyed.

At the same time, AAK said at least six out of ten residential buildings in Eastleigh and its environs were poorly constructed pointing to a dire situation where buyers could be left holding property of less value than they paid for.