Engineers Sound Alarm Over Regulatory Lapses After Mombasa Building Collapse
The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has raised alarm over persistent regulatory failures in Kenya’s construction sector following the release of a Public Information Pack by the Mombasa County Government concerning a recent building collapse. While commending the Governor for transparency, IEK noted that the findings contained no new revelations and merely echoed longstanding concerns previously raised by authorities such as the National Construction Authority (NCA) and the National Building Inspectorate.
According to IEK, systemic issues such as unregulated developers, credential renting by professionals, and poor enforcement of safety standards continue unabated across the country. A disturbing trend highlighted is the registration of hundreds of projects by individual professionals without adequate oversight or supervision, leaving room for fatal structural compromises. Developers are reportedly overriding professional advice and avoiding accountability, with many building projects proceeding without proper contracts or quality control documentation.
IEK is now calling for a comprehensive regulatory reform to address these challenges. They recommend stricter approval procedures requiring active consent from professionals, mandatory statutory fees for engineering services to discourage ghost supervision, and the provision of detailed quality control evidence such as geotechnical reports and on-site test results prior to project approvals.
Additionally, IEK advocates for the amendment of the NCA Act and the Physical and Land Use Planning Act to criminalize the occupation of buildings without valid occupancy certificates. The institution also unveiled a new Site Inspection Handbook, developed in collaboration with the Council of Governors and the NCA, to help standardize inspections and ensure construction safety.
IEK urges all counties, including Mombasa, to pursue deeper technical collaboration to improve building safety, stressing that the integrity of Kenya’s built environment is a collective national responsibility.
