Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has issued a stern directive to the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Board, ordering immediate action against professionals responsible for the increasing number of building collapses across the country.
With over 200 lives lost due to collapsed buildings since 1990, Wahome declared that it is time to hold owners, architects, and engineers accountable, including through legal prosecution.
Speaking during the opening of the Board of Registration for Architects and Quality Surveyors (BORAQS) seminar at Safari Park Hotel on Thursday, September 5, during a forum with construction sector players, Wahome's message was clear: enough is enough. "We need to remove quacks. We need to jail some of these people. It is no longer acceptable for shortcuts and corruption to be the norm in the construction sector,” she stated firmly.
Why it matters: The move aims to tame the irregular constructions that are often aided by rogue officials and professionals who do not stop the unsafe constructions. However, this move could affect the billions as the Kenya Kwanza government seeks to reboot the economy through the sector.
Dig deeper: The directive comes as Kenya grapples with a growing crisis of unsafe buildings, many of which have been flagged as death traps by the National Construction Authority (NCA).
An assessment conducted by the NCA in 2018 revealed alarming statistics: of 14,895 buildings inspected, a staggering 10,791 were deemed unsafe and in urgent need of demolition or reinforcement. Yet, these structures remain standing, threatening the lives of thousands of Kenyans.
“The board has been tasked with regulating architects and quantity surveyors, ensuring they adhere to ethical practices. But we must go further. We cannot allow professionals to compromise the safety of Kenyans for profit. There must be accountability,” Wahome insisted.
Her remarks come in response to the growing frustration among Kenyans, who have watched as buildings continue to collapse, often due to substandard construction practices and corrupt deals. “For a building to collapse, there’s been a failure at every level—materials, professionalism, execution. The entire project team must be held responsible,” she asserted.
In the last five years alone, 87 buildings have collapsed across the country, leaving countless families devastated. Yet, the numbers suggest this is only the tip of the iceberg. According to the NCA’s findings, 723 buildings have been identified as extremely dangerous, posing a constant threat to those living or working in them.
New direction: Wahome didn’t mince words when addressing the role of professionals in this crisis. "As regulators, we need to do our job better. It is not enough to issue warnings; we must penalise those responsible. If you are part of a project where shortcuts are being taken, you are complicit. When the building falls, everyone involved—owners, engineers, architects—must face the consequences."
The economic toll of this disaster is equally severe. The collapse of buildings has cost the economy over Ksh2.4 billion in investments, in addition to the tragic loss of life. Wahome's tough stance signals a shift in the government’s approach to the construction sector, which has long been plagued by corruption and lax regulation.
Her directive includes a warning to professionals in the sector: choose integrity, or face the law. "Kenyans must appreciate professionalism. Without adherence to the right specifications and materials, buildings will collapse, and lives will be lost. If you are not willing to do the job right, walk away."
In 2015, after eight buildings collapsed, killing 15 people, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a national audit of all buildings. The findings were shocking—58 per cent of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation. Yet, years later, the crisis persists, with few of those responsible ever facing the full force of the law.
Wahome’s latest orders are a call to action for the entire construction industry. She made it clear that this crackdown is not just about punishing individuals but about transforming the culture of Kenya’s construction sector. “We must stop treating human life as cheap. If we are to change our country, we must change the way we build.”
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