Engineers in Kenya are demanding the implementation of safety audits to address the growing concern of building collapses in the country. The Institution of Engineers, Kenya (IEK) has called for the enactment of the External Building Audit Act, which would introduce mandatory independent building assessments. This move aims to identify and rectify structural defects, verify construction against approved designs, and hold developers and professionals accountable for any lapses. IEK President Harrison Keter emphasized that statutory independent audits are crucial in ensuring the safety of buildings.
Research by the National Construction Authority (NCA) has documented 87 building failures and collapses in Kenya between 1990 and 2018. A 2018 audit by the National Building Inspectorate (NBI) categorized 723 structures as "very dangerous" and 10,791 as "unsafe." Recent data from the Architectural Association of Kenya's (AAK) Status of the Built Environment Report 2025 shows that the NBI audited only 396 buildings in 2025, with 87 percent failing to meet required safety standards or lacking statutory approvals.
The NCA issued 13,348 suspension-of-work notices in 2025 alone, while rejecting 1,125 project-registration applications and approving 4,687 as compliant. A recent incident in January 2026, where a building under construction collapsed in Nairobi's South C estate, highlighted the consequences of regulatory non-compliance. Investigations established that the developers had illegally added four extra floors beyond the approved structural designs. This incident has underscored the need for stricter enforcement of building regulations.
IEK President Harrison Keter noted that the root challenge lies not in a lack of legislation but in the enforcement agencies' inability to maintain consistent site oversight. He expressed concern over licensed engineers being assigned responsibility for hundreds of projects simultaneously, which compromises supervision quality. Keter advocated for greater reliance on independent consulting engineers and formal mechanisms to ensure strict accountability for everyone approving and supervising developments.
The government has echoed the need for structural reforms within the sector, stating that the construction industry must tackle the involvement of unqualified practitioners, substandard supervision, and the disregard of approved construction procedures. State Department for Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugu urged developers, contractors, and technical professionals to strictly adhere to design standards and called for punitive disciplinary action against practitioners who betray their professional obligations.
Technology has been highlighted as a vital lever to bridge enforcement gaps and compensate for acute inspector shortages. State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy Principal Secretary, John Kipchumba Tanui, noted that deploying intelligent digital systems will improve data collection, facilitate real-time project monitoring, and empower regulators to flag non-compliant developments. However, digital adoption remains constrained, with only eight counties having functional online permitting systems in 2025.
The AAK report revealed that professional services are utilized in merely 20 percent of all construction projects nationwide, exposing a massive reliance on unverified expertise. The report further estimated that several counties are operating inconsistently. The engineers' call for safety audits and stricter regulations aims to address these gaps and ensure that buildings are safe for occupation.
Key points
- Engineers in Kenya are demanding the implementation of mandatory safety audits to curb building collapses.
- The government has been urged to enforce stricter regulations and take punitive action against practitioners who disregard approved construction procedures.
- Technology is being considered as a solution to bridge enforcement gaps and improve data collection in the construction sector.
