Counties free to use local materials under new building code

Workers at a construction site in West Pokot. A new building code now allows counties to use local materials to cut costs and boost climate resilience.

Counties can now use local materials such as fluorspar, sand and cement in construction under a new building code aimed at cutting costs and supporting climate resilience.

The National Construction Authority (NCA) said the National Building Code, 2024, replaces outdated rules that blocked the use of local materials, limiting affordable and sustainable building.

"If a county has access to natural materials like fluorspar, sand or cement, they can now be used in compliance with the code. This inclusion will promote sustainability and affordability," said NCA Board Chair Mercy Okiro during a sensitisation forum in Kapenguria, West Pokot.

The code also guides how to build access roads to buildings, place windows and doors and safely install gas cylinders in homes to improve safety and modernise construction.

"The Building Code 2024 is a milestone framework towards streamlining construction practices, enhancing safety and building resilience against climate-related risks," added Okiro.

The sensitisation forum, part of the authority's stakeholder education drive that has so far reached 18 counties, brought together contractors, regulators and policymakers to discuss the code's impact on urban planning and sustainable construction.

The code replaces the Local Government (Adoptive ByLaws) Building Order of 1968, aligning construction standards with modern safety practices while backing local economies and climate adaptation efforts.