This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
Following a devastating building collapse in Huruma in March 2018 that killed three people, the National Assembly has proposed new safety rules for buildings. The rules are contained in the Built Environment Bill, 2019, which seeks to create the position of a building auditor to regulate construction and ensure structural safety.
The Bill, tabled by Majority Leader Aden Duale, also proposes the creation of a building site inspector position to handle all clearances in regard to proposed construction sites and access to them. Additionally, the position of a plan reviewer has been mooted in the Bill, tasked with approving building plans to ensure people put up structures in conformity with the law.
According to the Bill, all new buildings will be inspected after five years by an 'accredited checker' who must be a qualified structural engineer or architect. This comes just when a judge in Nairobi last week ordered the Ministry of Education to enforce safety standards in all boarding schools to avert fire accidents.
Published on September 25, 2019, in The Standard.
