When it was formed in 2011, the National Construction Authority (NCA) came barking down at industry players, perhaps to assert its authority, even as its bosses promised a raft of measures to streamline the building and construction sub-sector. This came at a time the country was recording a large number of buildings collapsing, which were blamed on a number of issues, including a boom in the construction industry.

However, 11 years on, the same challenges still stand. The NCA has over this time proclaimed a number of directives, with a raft of measures seen here and there whose impact may not be fully established as of now.

The main mandate of NCA is regulatory in nature; overseeing and defining the boundaries of the housing sector. The agency was constituted in the laws of Kenya under Act No.41 of 2011 to regulate, streamline and enhance the building capacity in the industry, hence they are expected to oversee and coordinate the development of the local construction industry to ensure an effective and sustainable sector. This means that the critical role of ensuring all the buildings in the country are fit for occupation both legally and physically squarely falls on its shoulders. And when this is not the case, Kenyans have a right to ask why.

In the past three months, four major buildings have collapsed. September recorded two buildings; a seven-storey building collapsed in Kiambu and another in Lamu, killing nine people in total. This month, two eight-storey buildings have collapsed barely a week apart; one in Kasarani and another in Tassia and it is yet to be established how many people have lost their lives from these two incidents.

Behind these incidences are human fatalities, a grave issue which NCA should use to crack down on unsafe buildings. The question of what action NCA is actually taking to restore order to the industry is another issue of concern. In the Kasarani incident, the agency had called stopped the construction, instructing that workers vacate the site. However, construction works still continued. Why was this allowed to happen and who is responsible for giving the clearance? That person should be held to account. The issue of corruption should also be addressed to forestall other accidents in future to prevent more deaths and loss of investments. From building plan approvals to inspecting of building materials standards, there needs to be a way to ensure corruption is nipped in the bud for the sake of public safety.