{"id":8933,"date":"2026-01-07T09:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/8933\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T09:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:06:15","slug":"unapproved-buildings-flagged-as-nca-cracks-down-on-illegal-construction-in-kisumu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/8933\/","title":{"rendered":"Unapproved buildings flagged as NCA cracks down on illegal construction in Kisumu."},"content":{"rendered":"

NCA Nyanza region coordinator Festus Mariera inspecting a construction site in Seme subcounty, Kisumu \/Faith Matete\u00a0NCA Nyanza region coordinator Festus Mariera inspecting a construction site in Seme subcounty, Kisumu \/Faith Matete\u00a0NCA Nyanza region coordinator Festus Mariera inspecting a construction site in Seme subcounty, Kisumu \/Faith Matete\u00a0<\/p>\n

The National Construction Authority has issued stoppage orders to two construction sites in Kisumu following
\na quality assurance inspection that revealed widespread non-compliance with
\nbuilding regulations.<\/p>\n

The exercise, which included several
\nsites in Seme subcounty, uncovered glaring deficiencies such as absence of
\napproved building plans, lack of registered professionals on site and
\ncontractors operating without valid licences.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the inspection, NCA
\nNyanza region coordinator Festus Mariera expressed concern over the findings.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome developers do not even have
\nbasic documentation or approvals, while others are carrying out construction
\nwithout engaging qualified professionals to oversee the works,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mariera attributed the problem
\nlargely to a lack of awareness among developers, noting that many do not know
\nthey are legally required to hire registered architects or engineers before
\ncommencing construction.<\/p>\n

He said construction
\nshould begin with a lead consultant who guides the developer through approvals,
\ndocumentation, procurement and engagement of a contractor registered and
\nlicensed by the NCA.<\/p>\n

Mariera further warned that
\ncontractors operating with expired licences or without registration are acting
\nillegally, citing recent building collapses involving unlicensed contractors.<\/p>\n

\u201cA contractor whose licence is not
\ncurrent is not recognised in law. Most of the people we are finding on these
\nsites do not qualify to be called contractors at all and are practising illegally,\u201d
\nhe said.<\/p>\n

Under the National Construction
\nAuthority Act and the NCA Regulations of 2014, engaging in construction without
\nproper registration attracts penalties, including prosecution.<\/p>\n

Project owners who hire unregistered
\ncontractors also risk legal action.<\/p>\n

Mariera clarified that projects
\nvalued at Sh5 million and below may be undertaken by NCA-accredited site
\nsupervisors if they meet the authority\u2019s requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll forms of construction, whether
\nresidential or commercial, must be registered with the NCA. Registration helps
\nthe government maintain a database of ongoing projects and supports capacity
\nbuilding within the sector,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

During the inspection in Seme, NCA,
\nworking jointly with the Kisumu government, issued two stoppage orders affecting
\nresidential projects, while a commercial site was flagged for non-compliance.<\/p>\n

Construction sites may be halted for
\nseveral reasons, including lack of a site signboard, poor fencing, absence of
\nsafety signage, unregistered contractors, or lack of an NCA compliance
\ncertificate.<\/p>\n

Mariera said even sites with
\ncompliance certificates can be stopped if they later violate safety or
\nregulatory requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a site to get an NCA compliance
\ncertificate, all approvals from the county, Nema, and other relevant agencies
\nmust be documented, verified on the system, and confirmed through on-site
\ninspection,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

On capacity, Mariera said the
\nauthority is gradually expanding its workforce despite staffing challenges,
\nadding that inspections will continue across the region, from central business
\ndistricts to rural areas.<\/p>\n

He reminded developers that while
\nsingle residential dwellings may require fewer approvals, commercial projects
\nmust obtain additional licences from agencies such as Nema, the\u00a0Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority,\u00a0Water Resources Authority, or the
\nKenya Civil Aviation Authority, depending on the nature and location of the
\nproject.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most basic requirements are
\napprovals from the county government, Nema, and registration with the NCA.
\nBeyond that, other regulators come in depending on the complexity of the
\nproject,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Instant analysis<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The National Construction Authority\u2019s stoppage of non-compliant construction sites in Kisumu highlights ongoing challenges in Kenya\u2019s building sector, including unlicensed contractors and lack of adherence to safety and regulatory standards. The move underscores the importance of proper approvals, engagement of registered professionals, and compliance with multi-agency requirements for both residential and commercial projects. While some violations stem from developer ignorance, the risks to public safety are significant, as evidenced by past building collapses. Continued inspections and enforcement, coupled with awareness campaigns, are crucial to ensure structural safety, accountability, and sustainable urban development in Kisumu and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NCA Nyanza region coordinator Festus Mariera inspecting a construction site in Seme subcounty, Kisumu \/Faith Matete\u00a0NCA Nyanza region…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[80,351,352,98,100,353,101,350,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-8933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kenya","8":"tag-kenya","9":"tag-kenya-news","10":"tag-star","11":"tag-star-news","12":"tag-star-news-kenya","13":"tag-star-newspaper-kenya","14":"tag-the-star","15":"tag-the-star-kenya","16":"tag-the-star-newspaper"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}