New authority to streamline building industry

By Philip Mwakio

The Government has announced the formation of an authority charged with the responsibility of overseeing all aspects of construction in the country.

Public Works Permanent Secretary John Lonyangapuo said the National Construction Authority will be officially unveiled on July 4 at a ceremony to be presided over by Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking in Mombasa on Friday while presiding over a regional workshop for ministry staff to disseminate its service charter, the PS said the new body’s board of directors has also been appointed. The PS said the establishment of the new body is in line with the new political dispensation.

“The body will have the mandate to reign in both private and public sector players involved in the construction industry to ensure that there is conformity with building laws in the country,’’ he said.

With such an authority in place, it is expected that unscrupulous contractors who shoddy jobs in construction work thus leading to collapse of buildings will be a thing of the past.

Kenya has over a spate of time seen huge residential and commercial buildings caving in leading to destruction of property and loss of lives with initial findings pointing to sub standard work on the side of construction.

The PS added that Public Works Ministry will soon advertise for the building of new port headquarters at the construction site of the new Lamu port project.

“It is a mega project which is multi-faceted in nature and a number of key Government ministries are involved. The Ministry of Public Works will take care of the building of the Lamu port headquarters, auxiliary facilities and amenities like police station , shopping centre, schools and hospitals ,’’ he said.