The government of Kenya has revealed that many Kenyans are now turning to smart technology for their construction needs.
In a statement published on Tuesday, June 15, the State Department for Housing and Urban Development indicated that the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSBs) technology was gaining massive traction,
The new technology was introduced in the construction industry through the Appropriate Building Materials and Technology (ABMT) project.
The technology produces bricks made from a mixture of soil, cement and water in appropriate ratios.
The mixture is then compressed using an ISSB machine to produce bricks which are cured to ensure quality control.
The state explained that the technology is designed to deliver efficient and cost-effective housing through collaborative research, capacity building, incubation, enterprise development and dissemination of various building technologies.
It further noted that the material is compatible with various elements under consideration during the construction process.
They include the socio-cultural, economic as well physical and ecological environment of an area.
The state noted that the uptake of the new offering was on an upward spiral with Makueni and Kitui counties recording the highest spike.
A company in Kitui which has produced 30,000 units revealed that over 20,000 were consumed by local construction industry.
The project is being promoted by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and plan is underway to roll it out to the rest of the 47 counties.
In November 2020, a new wave of cost-efficient homes hit the country backed by the national government which urged Kenyans looking into build homes to adapt to the expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels technology.
At the time, around 50 polystyrene homes have been built in Kajiado County.
EPS building technology entails building homes by assembling ready-made EPS panels, sandwiched between a wire mesh that is sealed on both sides with concrete.
The panels are made from light cellular plastic foam, a by-product of oil refining, which consists of mini spherical particles containing about 98% air.
Because air is a poor conductor of heat, polystyrene houses can offer better insulation than homes made from timber or concrete.
