The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has absolved engineers from blame over the two buildings that collapsed while under construction in Kiambu and Kajiado counties at the end of September.
In a statement, Board’s Registrar who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Margaret Ogai, said officers from the Board visited the affected sites and found “no evidence of involvement of professional engineers” in the projects.
“The project in Kirigiti (Kiambu) was not registered by County Government and the National Construction Authority,” said Eng. Ogai. “Professional engineers were not involved the design and supervision of the project,” she added.
The Registrar said the Board would carry out further investigations and share the findings and recommendations “to mitigate the collapsed buildings”.
She urged developers to engage professional engineers registered and licensed by the Board in the implementation of their projects from design to construction.
Incidents of buildings collapsing at various stages of construction have become common in Kenya. The menace has been blamed on unqualified personnel, developers and contractors who seek shortcuts and failure of regulatory authorities to adequately police the construction sector.
