The recent increase in buildings collapsing during and after construction in Nairobi and surrounding areas is often attributed to substandard workmanship and other flaws. However, deeper issues are at play in these incidents, some of which have resulted in loss of life and property.
Squarely to blame are suspect construction plan approvals, thanks to backroom deals between owners, contractors and corrupt officials seeking shortcuts and cost savings. This greed has resulted in numerous death traps being approved.
Unscrupulous developers collude with rogue Nairobi City Hall officials to evade scrutiny by the National Construction Authority and bypass necessary approvals. Consequently, the officials enable construction of subpar buildings that endanger tenants and passers-by.
In cases where the authority has identified shortcomings and condemned buildings for not meeting required standards, the orders are often disregarded, eventually leading to collapse of the faulty structures. The Nairobi City County Planning Committee has pointed to a tug-of-war with the Architectural Association of Kenya over building approvals.
Witnesses have told the committee the automatic approvals system has been sabotaged, leading to manual processing through which officials solicit bribes up to 500,000 Kenyan shillings (add currency conversion) to bypass requirements and due process. Some developers even bribe officials to remove red NCA condemnation markings, allowing completion of buildings deemed unsafe.
For years, the authority has blamed poor expertise, workmanship and ignorance for collapsed buildings under construction, despite owners obtaining approvals through shady deals with officials. According to the NCA, poor workmanship causes 35% of failures, followed by unprofessional contractor conduct at 34% and use of substandard materials at 28%.
While NCA registration and quality checks have greatly improved building construction, issues like improper approvals, technical problems such as substandard materials and lack of quality assurance still pose serious challenges.
To enhance building safety, the NCA must ensure contractors and owners follow regulations, conduct rigorous inspections to guarantee compliance and enforce strict penalties for violations. It should also collaborate with county planning offices to streamline the permitting and approval process to eliminate corruption. Closely monitoring these issues is imperative to improve overall safety.
