Construction authority cracks down on rogue developers

Dr Eng. Meshack Otieno (centre), manager for Construction Research and Business Development at the National Construction Authority, joins Eng. Enock Ogutu (left), Mbuthia Kelvin and Senior Training and Capacity Building Officer Eng. Ken Ounda (right) at the Construction Research and Innovation Dissemination Forum in Nairobi on Monday, June 29, 2026. [Courtesy]

 The National Construction Authority (NCA) has launched a fresh crackdown on developers who add unauthorised floors to approved buildings, warning that contractors found culpable risk prosecution and deregistration.

Speaking at the Construction Research and Innovation Dissemination Forum (CRIDF) in Nairobi on Monday, June 29, NCA Manager for Construction Research and Business Development Dr Meshack Otieno said the authority had identified a pattern of developers securing approvals for a set number of floors then illegally constructing additional storeys without fresh structural assessments.

"You find that a project has been approved for 10 floors, then they go maybe up to 12 floors. That is a very serious issue because you are violating the approval requirement and risking public safety, since the additional floors were not factored into the initial design," said Otieno.

Otieno noted that once inspection staff flag such violations, the board institutes formal enquiries. Depending on the gravity of the misconduct, contractors face caution, suspension or deregistration, with serious cases referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

"Once the board concludes its investigation and recommends that the Director of Public Prosecutions take over, the issue is pursued within the court environment," observed Otieno.

The warning comes against a backdrop of mounting concern over Kenya's construction sector.

A 16-storey building in Nairobi's South C collapsed on January 2, after the developer extended construction beyond approved floors.

Nairobi City County records show the site had been flagged three times, in May, July and December 2025, but contractors proceeded unchecked.

An NCA audit of 14,925 buildings found that 10,791 were unsafe, 723 were classified as very dangerous, and only 2,194 were safe.

The authority estimates that over 200 people have lost their lives since the first building collapse in 1990, with the economy losing over Sh2.4 billion in investments.

A Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) study found that poor workmanship accounts for 35 per cent of collapsed buildings, unprofessional conduct by contractors 34 per cent and use of substandard materials 28 per cent.

At least five building owners and 10 government officials have been charged over collapses that killed more than 100 people, but most cases have dragged on in court for more than five years.

The forum also addressed broader causes of building collapses documented over the past decade, including failure to obtain approvals, absence of qualified supervisors, substandard workmanship, inadequate material testing and poor geotechnical assessments.

NCA said it is developing an inspection manual aligned to the National Building Code 2024, funded by the World Bank (WB), alongside a repair and maintenance manual, and is institutionalising mandatory inspections from the foundation level to the issuance of occupation certificates.

Otieno announced plans to establish a contractor development fund, with NCA set to approach donors for low-interest loans in the next financial year.

The forum will subsequently move to Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri and Nakuru, with plans to expand to all 47 counties.