Nairobi: Kenyans have been assured that the new National Building Code 2024 aims to enhance the standards of construction, ensuring safety, efficiency, and sustainability in building practices with a focus on streamlined approval processes.
According to Kenya News Agency, Advocate Diana Watila affiliated with the National Building Inspectorate, State Department of Public Works, stated that the new National Building Code 2024 is performance-based and factors in technological advancement, universal access to buildings, as well as environmentally friendly construction.
Ms. Watila explained that the code’s implementation will transform how construction is carried out in the country by providing an up-to-date framework and standards for planning, design, approval, implementation, maintenance, and demolition of buildings. Additionally, she noted the Code ushers in a new era of construction standards that gives provision for multi-hazard designs, sustainable green construction practices, digital connectivity, liquid petroleum gas connections into buildings, and disaster risk management on construction sites.
The advocate made the remarks during a stakeholder sensitization and civic education program held at a Nakuru hotel that sought to popularize the new building code towards ensuring safe, sustainable, and inclusive construction practices. Published as Legal Notice No. 47 on March 1, 2024, the National Building Code 2024 replaces the 57-year-old and outdated Local Government (Adoptive By-Laws) Building Order of 1968. The new Building Code came into effect on March 1st this year.
Ms. Watila stated that the sensitization program was designed to empower professionals, contractors, and the public with the knowledge required to implement the code effectively, focusing on stakeholder engagement and compliance. The Advocate said the Building Code 2024, a set of regulations anchored under the National Construction Authority Act, embodies the government’s commitment to fostering innovation, ensuring safety, and enhancing sustainability in Kenya’s built environment.
The official said by addressing the limitations of the 1968 Code which focused narrowly on conventional materials, the new code incorporates provisions for sustainable materials, modern technologies, and disaster resilience. Key features of the code include mandatory oversight by qualified professionals for all construction processes, advocacy for sustainable building practices, incorporation of fire safety and digital connectivity standards, promotion of universal accessibility, and preservation of cultural heritage.
Additionally, the code seeks to enhance energy efficiency, encourage renewable energy use, and support innovation in materials and waste reduction. Ms. Watila observed that by standardizing processes, it ensures clarity and consistency across all phases of construction, from planning to maintenance. The Code empowers regulatory authorities with streamlined systems for approvals, inspections, and certifications, bolstering oversight and accountability while addressing risks like structural failures and fire hazards.
The National Construction Authority (NCA) came up with the code. It was first launched on July 17, 2024. It is the responsibility of NCA to oversee its implementation and ensure compliance within the industry. Chief Quantity Surveyor, State Department for Public Works, Vincent Kuucha assured that the Code will minimize the harmful effects on human health resulting from the use of building methods, products, design, and building work.
Kuucha said it will provide for universal access standards to all types of buildings, preserve buildings of significant cultural, historical, or heritage value, and provide for fire safety by limiting the extent and effects of the spread of fire. The Quantity Surveyor (QS) said by addressing the limitations of the 1968 Code, which focused narrowly on conventional materials, the new code champions modern technologies and materials.
‘Its mandatory five-year review cycle ensures Kenya remains at the forefront of global construction trends, driving job creation and fostering a digitally integrated construction ecosystem,’ he added. He added that the State Department of Public Works has already commenced internal sensitization efforts, engaging engineers, architects, and quantity surveyors who are actively contributing to the code’s implementation committee.
Kuucha highlighted that the new building code marks a significant improvement from the previous one and reiterated that after independence, Kenya adopted the British system in 1968 under local government, which was highly prescriptive and restrictive in terms of construction materials. The revised code, however, promotes sustainability and environmental responsibility by allowing innovation, provided materials meet the required standards. It also prioritizes safety and climate-conscious construction, ensuring efficient use of available resources such as natural lighting while aligning with modern building practices.
He said before any building project commences, it must first receive approval from the county government to verify compliance with legal and procedural requirements in addition to the project undergoing environmental assessment by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to address sustainability concerns. National Construction Authority will evaluate the qualifications of the professionals involved and inspect building materials to ensure they meet the required quality standards. These measures, he emphasized, are designed to uphold safety and professionalism in the construction industry.
Senior Investigation officer at NCA Engineer Bernard Were said that the new code puts into consideration environmental conservation initiatives and that it cures a technicality that was posed by the old code that was inconsistent with the country’s constitution. Eng. Were explained that the code states that the design of a building shall provide adequate structural resistance, serviceability, durability, and reliability.
The official explained that the code stated that a building shall be designed to withstand wind, seismic, and accidental loading, withstand flood action for a defined flood event, resist floatation, collapse of significant movement from hydrostatic or hydrodynamic scour, caused by a defined flood event, comply with elevation requirements, comply with material requirements and utilities and enable occupant egress. The new code, he said addresses the growing need for environmentally friendly buildings, promoting designs that favor water recycling, solar energy, and other sustainable features.
‘The code sets our own local standards and becomes one of only three building codes in Africa that address issues of sustainability, green building, and climate change,’ added Eng Were. The Code, he noted empowers regulatory authorities with streamlined systems for approvals, inspections, and certifications, bolstering oversight and accountability while addressing risks like structural failures and fire hazards.