The Permanent Secretary for Public Works Paul Maringa on Monday said that most of the suspended sites do not have registered consultants and lack the necessary approvals therefore not meeting the set criteria to carry out construction/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – Over 3,000 construction sites countrywide have consistently defied suspension orders issued by the National Construction Authority over non-compliance with the laws governing the sector.
The Permanent Secretary for Public Works Paul Maringa on Monday said that most of the suspended sites do not have registered consultants and lack the necessary approvals therefore not meeting the set criteria to carry out construction.
Maringa further put developers on notice adding that the government will not compromise non-compliance as he declared zero tolerance on defying of suspension orders.
“The law is very clear on what is needed when it comes to construction. There are various agencies enacted to ensure certain criteria are met in order to protect both lives and livelihood. All developers are put on notice that measures necessary will be taken to ensure they comply with the law, “he said.
According to the regulations, the construction process begins with approvals from the respective County Governments, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Water Resources Authority (WRA) where applicable.
The National Construction Authority conducts quality assurance on the construction sites, checking for compliance which include; a registered contractor on site, accredited construction workers, registration of the construction project, a site board showing full approvals and consultants engaged in the project as well as safety signage on site.
Also speaking was the National Secretary for buildings inspectorate Moses Nyakiongora who said non-compliant buildings will be demolished urging developers to be fully compliant with the laws governing the sector.
“We have carried out countrywide audit which shows that construction of buildings marked unsafe is still ongoing, be rest assured that we will not rest until full compliance is attained,” said Nyakiongora.
Majority of the buildings are in Nairobi especially in informal settlements, Kiambu, Central Nyanza, Lower and Upper Eastern, Kajiado, Western and Coast.
Several unsafe residential buildings across the country have in the past collapsed killing dozens of people.
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