Built Environment Bodies Calls for End to Impunity After South C Building Collapse
The President of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), Eng. Shammah Kiteme, on Thursday read a joint statement on behalf of built environment professional associations calling for an end to impunity in Kenya’s construction sector following the collapse of a building under construction in South C, Nairobi.
Reading the statement, Eng. Kiteme expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, those injured, and the communities affected by the tragedy, describing the incident as preventable and a collective national failure.
“In the 21st century, in a country as educated, trained, and professionally endowed as Kenya, such disasters should be a thing of the past,” he said, adding that every life lost must weigh heavily on the conscience of the industry.
He said the collapse resulted from systemic failures across the entire construction and development chain from planning and design, approvals, materials and construction methods, to inspection, enforcement and political interference.
Eng. Kiteme said professionals who fail in their duties of design, supervision, certification and ethical conduct must be held to account, saying the industry could no longer tolerate negligence and unethical practices.
“Where our members have failed, they must be held responsible,” he said.
The IEK President said county planning and development control departments must be strengthened and professionalised, and should not be treated merely as revenue-generating units. He said counties should be staffed with empowered technical officers including chief architects, engineers, planners, surveyors and valuers to ensure proper inspections, quality assurance and quality control.
He said developers must not be allowed to evade responsibility. “The developer must be held ultimately accountable for failure to comply with all requirements under the National Building Code,” he said.
Eng. Kiteme said more than 200 buildings have collapsed in Kenya since 1996, yet lessons from past investigations had not been adequately implemented. He called for thorough investigations into the South C incident, public dissemination of findings, and incorporation of lessons into regulation and practice.
He also called for responsibility to be apportioned among all culpable parties including counties, regulators, consultants, contractors and developers warning that failure to enforce accountability entrenches a culture of impunity.
The joint statement identified root causes of collapses as corruption, political interference, bypassing procedures, involvement of unqualified practitioners, lack of geotechnical investigations, poor construction sequencing, substandard materials and weak quality control.
It called for mandatory peer review at all stages of development, and supported the establishment of a national planning information system to enhance transparency and standardisation across counties.
The statement further called for the establishment of a multi-stakeholder technical task force to investigate the collapse, immediate reparations to affected families by the developer, audits of the developer’s other projects, swift regulatory action including deregistration and prosecution of culpable parties, and closer coordination among regulators.
“The causes are known. The solutions are known. What is required now is courage, coordination and commitment,” Eng. Kiteme said while reading the statement.
He said the professional bodies were committed to working with the National and County Governments, regulators and the public to restore safety, integrity and trust in Kenya’s built environment.
Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) President, Arch. George A. Ndege, has faulted several county governments for turning the building approval process into a revenue-raising exercise at the expense of public safety. He warned that this shift has weakened the effectiveness of development control systems, increasing the risk of unsafe construction and structural failures across the country.
To address the problem, Ndege called on counties to reinforce their quality assurance frameworks and restore technical oversight in the approval and inspection process. He urged the appointment of senior professionals including Chief Architects and Chief Engineers to supervise construction projects, arguing that stronger professional leadership is essential to ensure compliance with standards and protect lives and property.
TAA President Senator and Architect Sylvia Kasanga has said that private developers must take full responsibility for complying with the National Building Code 2024, warning that weak enforcement is fuelling deadly construction failures.
Making her remarks on the role of private investment in the built environment, Kasanga called for strict adherence to the law and demanded that developers who violate regulations be compelled to make full reparations to families affected by building disasters, saying that without firm accountability, a culture of impunity will persist and continue to cost lives.
