Construction authority banks on research to improve building standards

Workers at a construction site. The National Construction Authority has announced it will study the standards of the construction industry in the country. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Nairobi has been the most affected county, with a number of buildings having come down.
  • The research is aimed at identifying the causes of and ways to stem rising cases of construction of substandard buildings that end up collapsing.

The National Construction Authority (NCA) has said it is investigating construction industry standards in the country.

The research, launched on Tuesday, seeks to establish the standards of construction materials, the capacity of Kenyan contractors and the technology being employed by contractors.

The findings would be made public during the Annual Construction Research Conference and Exhibition week that will take place from November 2 to 4 this year.

A similar conference was held in September last year and attracted over 800 professionals in the construction industry.

The research is aimed at identifying the causes of and ways to stem rising cases of construction of substandard buildings that end up collapsing.

Nairobi has been the most affected county, with a number of buildings having come down.

A building marked for demolition collapsed in Huruma in April, killing 30 people.

In early August, a five-storey building collapsed in Kariobangi South although no casualties were reported.