The Kenya Accreditation Services (KENAS) has kicked off a nationwide certification of all practitioners in the construction industry in line with set global standards.
KENAS Chief Executive Officer Walter Ongeti said the exercise targets weed out unqualified individuals posing as professionals in the sector and promote integrity and safety in the multi-billion shillings sector.
“We have identified the gaps in the construction sector which include rise in quacks and low quality construction materials and we have moved in to address this,” said Ongeti.
According to the agency, low quality of construction materials and rise of unqualified workers have contributed to frequent incidences of collapsed buildings across the country leaving tens of people dead and others left with serious body injuries.
The exercise by KENAS comes in the wake of heavy rains which have left many structures flooded raising fears that some could collapse due to low quality of materials used in construction.
KENAS said lack of trained personnel in the sector continues to compromise the quality of materials as well as works undertaken.
Speaking in Naivasha during an awareness engagement with stakeholders, Ongeti said the agency would enhance surveillance in the sector to ensure compliance and reduce fatal risks.
“The measures will strengthen the role of the regulator such as the National Construction Authority to enforce rules that will reduce sub-standard works,” he said.
On his part, Hillary Ojwang from the National Construction Inspectorate said the certification of all professionals would help bring sanity in the industry.
Ojwang’ said the certification would be issued on technical expertise of professions and would remove all quacks while addressing collisions that compromised quality of materials.
“The accreditation of all professionals in the construction industry will ensure safety and quality of all construction works and lock out quacks who have compromised build standards,” he stated.
Ali Noor Ibrahim, the sales leader of a French based firm said all practitioners who fail accreditation metrics should get their licenses revoked in order to streamline the sector.
He said the firm which oversees operations of over 1600 testing laboratories globally had ensured all their 400,000 clients accessed quality and safe machines and products.
“We have partnered with standardization agencies to ensure all shipped goods and materials in the construction sector are inspected for quality and safety controls,” he said.
