Professionals in Kenya’s built environment have raised the alarm over a growing safety crisis, blaming weak enforcement, outdated laws and the proliferation of unqualified practitioners for putting lives at risk, as they push for self-regulation.
Speaking at a multi-sector forum convened by The Architects Alliance, leaders from the legal, engineering and construction sectors said the current regulatory framework is no longer fit for purpose and requires urgent reform.
Law Society of Kenya president Charles Kanjama said many of the laws governing the sector predate the 2010 Constitution and have failed to keep pace with modern developments.“The existing laws are not adequate, and their application and implementation has also been inadequate,” he said.
Dr Sylviah Kasanga, president of The Architects Alliance (TAA), said public safety and the well-being of Kenyans must remain the primary benchmark in the built environment. She pointed to systemic gaps that have allowed unsafe practices to persist, citing weak and fragmented enforcement mechanisms. She said the alliance is pushing for reforms through the proposed Architects’ Bill currently before Parliament, which seeks to place professionals at the centre of regulation. The forum, which brought together several professional bodies, forms part of public participation on the Bill. “Our concern has always been whether the public is secure under the current system, and our answer is no,” she said.
Kanjama noted that failed prosecutions following building collapses are often due to a lack of professional assessment and expert evidence.
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Mutinda Mutuku, president of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, warned that over 80 per cent of construction projects may be controlled by unqualified practitioners, contributing to fatalities. “Quacks have taken hold of the built environment and they run supreme,” said Mutuma.