Government needs to crack down on substandard buildings

When buildings fall, the government makes a big deal about taking action against phony contractors but then goes silent and waits for the next calamity. Several structures being built in the nation's capital openly disregard building codes right in front of government representatives. Due to the demand for homes and the lower rates being paid, many residents also take a risk by relocating into high-rise flats that are still under construction. Could there be further recognised causes for Nairobi's subpar structures that could be investigated to avert disasters?

Rahma, Nairobi

The chairman of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) recently outlined some of the causes and reasons behind substandard buildings.

George Arabbu said poor quality building materials, poor concrete mixing and lack of supervision are among the leading causes of substandard buildings.

The National Construction Authority (NCA) has also repeatedly warned that the majority of buildings do not involve the professional services of qualified designers and supervisors to check on the quality and materials used.

Records from the NCA show over the past five years, at least 87 buildings have collapsed, leading to over 200 deaths and 1,000 people sustaining injuries.

According to AAK, 65 per cent of buildings countrywide have no involvement of designers while 85 per cent have very little or no supervision. There is also massive non-compliance to building standards and regulations, inadequate structural design, overloading and inadequate maintenance of structures.

The government may - through statutory institutions like the Kenya Bureau of Standards - crack the whip by ensuring control of sales of cheap building materials.

A recent NCA report on building collapses countrywide showed 10,791 buildings were unsafe and either needed to be demolished or reinforced before occupation.

More than 1,217 buildings were found to be fair and only 2,194 were certified as safe. The report further revealed construction of the majority of buildings in the capital were not approved - no supervision was done by the National Building Inspectorate during construction as required by law.

Approximately 66 per cent of the buildings collapsed after completion while 34 per cent collapsed during construction, following the use of sub-standard materials.

Several Nairobi residents are living in houses - some of which may look cozy - with poor piping, electrical connectivity and stairway heights. Legally, architects should come up with plans and forward them to the County Council for approval before developers get on site. Furthermore, the local authority should issue developers with completion and occupation certificates showing the building is fit for habitation.

Several residential buildings, mainly in Eastlands, were constructed without the approval of the now-defunct City Council of Nairobi as owners had share certificates instead of title deeds.

- Harold Ayodo is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya