Engineers say unpaid professionals fuelling unsafe buildings

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has warned of a growing safety risk in the construction sector following the partial collapse of an 11-storey building at Kilifi Corner on Mombasa Island.

The building, located at Kilifi Corner, Fayaz Estate, along Abdel Nasser Road, started sinking on April 2, triggering mass evacuations of nearby residential and commercial premises, including hospitals. 

The imminent threat of a collapse prompted urgent intervention by the national government.

In a statement on Monday, June 9, IEK said the incident highlights deep-rooted problems in the building industry, including weak enforcement, professional sidelining and unchecked developer control.

The engineers' body welcomed the Mombasa County Government’s formation of a multisector taskforce to probe the collapse and review building safety frameworks.

“It is encouraging that the county has demonstrated openness to public dialogue on this matter. This is good leadership,” said IEK.

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However, the institute noted that the taskforce added little new insight, saying the same issues had already been flagged by the National Construction Authority and the National Building Inspectorate.

“We laud the courage demonstrated by the governor but we point out that these issues are not unique to Mombasa County... after every building collapse, investigations are done and findings are now known to be of similar nature,” it stated.

IEK noted that some developers had registered more than 300 projects, yet there were no measures in place to manage or regulate them. 

The engineer’s association also raised concern that professionals were often unpaid or ignored, making it difficult to uphold construction standards.

“The developer, who pays, can do virtually anything. Not retain professionals and when retained, the developer can ignore professional advice without consequence and can refuse to pay professionals if they don't offer the advice the developer wants,” said the statement.

To fix this, IEK called for stricter project approval processes at the county level. It proposed that professionals must confirm receipt of official communication and be paid their statutory fees before taking up any project. 

The institution also recommended that no project should be approved without a geotechnical investigation report.

The engineers' body further demanded proper documentation for site inspections, regular site meetings and on-site quality control records, including trial mix designs, slump tests and material test results.

IEK also urged Parliament to amend the National Construction Authority Act and the Physical and Land Use Planning Act to make it illegal to occupy a building without a valid certificate of occupation.

The institution's  President Eng. Shammah Kiteme said the institution had developed a national site inspection handbook to curb repeat failures and push for industry reforms.

“This initiative aims to standardise site inspection, enhance compliance with engineers' standards and promote safety and quality across construction sites nationwide,” said Kiteme.