According to National Construction Authority (NCA), thousands of buildings in Nairobi are unsafe for habitation.
Recently, the auditor General Nancy Gathungu raised concerns over the safety of a building project being undertaken by the State Department for Trade and Enterprise Development.
In her report for the year ended June 30, 2021, Gathungu said the basement of the Kenya Institute of Business Training (KIBT) offices at Parklands Complex in Nairobi was overflowing with water from underground.
“…the second basement floor of the project was overflowing with water from underground. The Management explained that the water was pumped out regularly to avoid overflows,” Gathungu said in her report.
She said the management did not explain the measures put in place to ensure the safety of the building in view of the current water leakage and moisture on the basement floor.
The report showed that KIBT entered into an agreement with a contractor for the partitioning of offices at Parklands Complex at a contract sum of Sh146.6 million which was to be implemented in six months.
The project commenced on September 17, 2018, and was to end on March 17, 2019.
“Review of the project file revealed that the contractor sought and obtained several extensions of time, with the first being from March 17, 2019, to May 17, 2019, then to June 30, 2019, and thereafter to September 24, 2019,” Gathungu said.
She added that an audit inspection carried out on the project in the month of October 2021 revealed that the contractor was not on site and partitioning works had not been completed.
“No plausible explanation was provided for not completing the project within the duration provided for under the contract. In the Circumstance, the delays may result in cost overrun and delayed occupation of the building by the State Department for purposes of provision of services to the public.”
The National Construction Authority (NCA) assessment of 14895 buildings found 10791 to be unsafe.
The construction body recommended demolition or reinforcement of the buildings.
Presidential directive on audit of buildings in Nairobi found 42 per cent to be unsafe.
Thousands of buildings in Nairobi did not pass regulatory approval.
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