THE construction sector in Nairobi is set for accelerated growth after City Hall drastically cut down the waiting time for approval of building plans and issuance of permits from six months to two weeks.
Governor Johnson Sakaja issued the directive on Wednesday during a meeting with members of the Kenya Property Developers Association at City Hall.
“By reducing the approval timeline to be done after every two weeks, property developers can expect a more timely and predictable process, allowing them to plan and execute their projects more effectively,” he said.
The six-month wait has been a source of anguish for developers and investors.
Sakaja said establishing a structured approval timeline will not only boost efficiency but also ensure that developers adhere to required standards
Quicker approvals, he said, do not mean that the county will weaken its oversight duty to ensure adherence to standards of quality and safety.
The county has been under pressure from activists for allegedly issuing approvals randomly without regard to the environment and residential areas.
Multiple buildings have collapsed over the years due to non-compliance with safety regulations, leading to a loss of lives and property.
Activists have particularly had issues with permitting putting up highrise structures in residential areas without key amenities like lifts and playing space for children, while undermining settlements that have largely been exclusive and low-lying.
Destruction of trees and forests for the constructions has also been a thorny issue, with the Sakaja administration accused of giving permits to big-money developers to destroy the environment amid the vagaries of climate change.
On the other hand, the deregulation move could be a boon to revenue collection in the devolved unit as the building and construction sector has surpassed all other sectors a leading source of the county’s own source revenue.
Given the indication by the Controller of Budget on viability of the sector to generate more revenue, cutting regulations could accelerate its growth and generate more revenue.
