A growing number of contractors have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the prolonged delays experienced in the renewal of operating certificates under the oversight of the National Construction Authority (NCA), delays that many attribute to administrative inertia and structural inefficiencies within the institution’s leadership.
The impasse, which has left numerous certification applications unattended for extended periods, some reportedly languishing without action for several months, now appears to be affecting project timelines, capital expenditure flows, and investor scheduling, prompting increasingly loud calls for a leadership review within the Authority, particularly with regard to its Chief Executive, Eng. Maurice Akech.
The delays, described by sector stakeholders as debilitating to the pace and predictability of infrastructure execution, appear to result from a mix of bureaucratic congestion and procedural opacity, with no clear timelines communicated for processing submitted applications.
This absence of functional benchmarks, paired with a lack of public disclosure on turnaround expectations, has left many contractors in operational limbo, their compliance status in question and their capacity to commence or continue site activities jeopardized.
The situation has cast a long shadow over broader government reform efforts, especially in the context of public service digitization.
While bold timelines have been laid out for the automation of procurement systems and the modernization of state bureaucracy by mid-2025, it appears that core internal mechanisms at entities such as the NCA remain largely unaddressed, locked in legacy workflows that now threaten to stall strategic sectors.
Questions are now emerging about whether adequate supervisory attention is being paid to regulatory authorities charged with core sectoral oversight.
The NCA’s current trajectory suggests a disconnect between national transformation blueprints and the daily operational realities at the agency level, where delays in certification issuance ripple outward, delaying the mobilization of machinery, the engagement of skilled labour, and the activation of critical supply chains.
There is now a growing demand from the industry for the establishment of definitive service-level targets, accompanied by public-facing progress dashboards or renewal trackers that can introduce both transparency and accountability into the process.
Without such corrective steps, the prevailing opacity continues to breed frustration among contractors, who find themselves unable to meet contractual deadlines or project funding timelines due to regulatory inaction.
A growing portion of the construction sector now believes that unless measurable reforms are instituted, the option of effecting a leadership transition at the helm of the NCA must be considered as part of the broader effort to restore operational confidence and protect the integrity of public-private sector engagements in the construction domain.
At stake is not merely the convenience of certification processes but the functional rhythm of a sector that contributes directly to employment, infrastructure development, and the realization of national economic blueprints such as Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Regulatory paralysis at institutions such as the NCA has the potential to distort timelines, discourage investment, and undercut the credibility of the government’s development messaging.
Unless the existing backlog is addressed swiftly and transparently, and unless contractors are afforded clear, actionable feedback loops regarding the status of their applications, the current discontent may evolve into broader disaffection with the institutions charged with facilitating the country’s infrastructure growth.
What remains now is to initiate administrative audits, formalize delivery standards, and if necessary, restructure leadership to ensure that the regulatory machinery does not become a stumbling block to national progress.
Below is what industry players are now demanding as a fundamental prerequisite for restoring trust, efficiency and integrity in the construction oversight framework.
“Hi Nyakundi. Contractors across the country are at breaking point. What was once a predictable, if sometimes bureaucratic, process of certificate renewal at the National Construction Authority (NCA) has turned into an administrative nightmare. The delays have become chronic, and there’s no clarity no timelines, no updates, just silence. Several of us have now gone months without progress after submitting renewal applications. Projects are frozen. Investors are asking questions. Banks are hesitating to release funds. Clients are pulling back because we’re unable to show valid documentation. The economic cost of these delays is real, and it’s growing by the day. And yet, the NCA leadership seems absent. Eng. Maurice Akech, who heads the Authority, has gone completely quiet. No press briefing. No circulars. No published renewal schedules. Just a backlog that keeps getting worse. Some contractors now suspect that the delays aren’t just bureaucratic—they feel deliberate, or at the very least, completely neglected by those at the top. There are even questions being whispered in industry circles. Is this silence from the NCA a reflection of wider government dysfunction? The same leadership that announced a countrywide digitization of procurement by July 1st seems to have overlooked the daily gridlock happening at the very agencies meant to facilitate growth. This is not just about certificates. It is about trust. About operational timelines. About whether a contractor can confidently plan a project and hire workers knowing their paperwork will be processed on time. Right now, there is zero predictability. Some contractors are beginning to wonder if the only solution is a complete leadership overhaul at the NCA. If Akech cannot fix this, why is he still in office? We are not calling for political drama. We are asking for clear service standards, fixed processing timelines, a working e-platform, and regular status updates. Is that too much to ask? The economy cannot move if its builders are grounded. The Vision 2030 and Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda depend on infrastructure, jobs, housing, capital flows. But none of that is possible when the authority mandated to certify builders can’t manage its own paperwork. This is a full-blown failure in service delivery.”
