A report by the National Construction Authority (NCA) has painted a grim picture on the status of the construction industry in Kenya today.
The report titled Failure and Collapse of Buildings in the Construction Industry in Kenya indicated that three in every 10 buildings were likely to collapse largely due to various factors including poor workmanship.
Since the first storey building tumbled in 1990, the country has recorded 87 repeat cases with the highest having occurred in 2015 where 21 buildings collapsed around the country.
NCA further noted that the cases had cost the country a combined sum of Ksh2.4 billion in value, which is estimated that it could be higher due to lack of insurance on some properties.
Speaking during the construction research in Nairobi, Public Works Principal Secretary Gordon Kihalangwa noted that funding was a major issue in the sector and was largely responsible for the status quo.
He further noted that regulation in the sector was not a priority hence slow policy formulation to govern training institutions in keeping up with new demands.
"Sometimes the funds which have been allocated for research or training to these institutions is limited or not considered a priority yet our institutions of higher learner are required to have a backbone of research.
"Construction remains an anchor for the development of all other sectors, and therefore construction research is an integral part of strategic planning," stated the PS
Kihalangwa further disclosed that the authority is in the process of revising the policies to have rules strengthened in the future.
"The waste management at construction sites has never got a solution and I challenge you to focus on it," the PS urged attendees at the event.
The regulations are dependent on the 1969 Kenya Building Code.
Most of the incidents were revealed to have employed poor workmanship as the main cause.
Some of the cases emerged after contractors failed to comply with statutory and safety requirements with 13 cases.
