Bulldozer at a construction site
The Kenyan construction industry is set for radical reforms as the government drafts a Bill for the establishment of a construction regulation body.
Public Works Minister Chris Obure said last week that the government is drafting a Bill for the establishment of a National Construction Authority.
The minister said the body will, among other things, ensure all contractors are registered.
Under the new regulations it will be mandatory for all contractors to have formal training. Those caught bending the rules will be automatically de-registered.
The construction industry, Mr Obure said, was in urgent need of radical reforms that will allow regulation and provide a level playing field for construction companies to compete with foreign companies.
“The industry is in shambles and faced with a number of problems. There is need for a rethink and new laws,” Mr Obure said, citing some of the problems facing the industry as invasion by quacks and rogue practitioners, poor capacity, corruption and lack of funding.
The government will also come up with mechanisms for funding local contractors as a way of boosting their competitiveness against foreign ones.
Mr Obure made the announcements when he met members of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya to discuss legal reforms needed to revamp the construction industry.
Already, the Quantity Surveyors Bill which will govern quantity surveyors, has been drafted and is now waiting to be presented to the Cabinet for discussion.
Lack of proper regulation of the construction industry has been blamed for shoddy construction, slow completion rate and stalled construction projects in the past.
