Accountability in Building Industry
The multi-agency process in Kenya of the building construction industry is one that requires a multi-faceted solution. From idea conception to the issuance of a certificate of completion, this is one process that can easily be automated, approved, documentation available, and even an opportunity for anyone to verify any details.
It could be a building being built on riparian, a collapsed building, a building being constructed using substandard materials, or even one being constructed beyond the approvals level.
To do this, the County Government, National Construction Authority, Engineers Board of Kenya, and Architectural Association of Kenya, all must be in sync.
You draw a building plan, You the Bill of Quantities, you present it to the county for approval, you start construction, get inspected at various milestones, complete the building, and inspected for occupation.
Now one may wonder how you automate all these processes and their documentation. The answer lies in the power of Electronic Document Management Systems and workflow features. This is what has always made the difference.
The system shall allow for ease of follow-up and even individual responsibility.
A governor is not to blame for a collapsed building, and neither is your local MCA, but if the system is available then it’s easier to directly follow up on who was the contractor, supplier of the materials, the architect, and even the engineer. It would be also very easy to identify the county official or the NCA agent who inspected and allowed the next phase.
A strong system will enable you as a Kenyan to
- Get to know who approved the building
- Get to know the county engineer who last inspected the construction or the NCA person who inspected
- Get to understand any concerns raised
- Get to view the plans and understand if anything was amiss
Now we must stop the blame game and push for automation of this.
We remain positive.
