IEK Urges Reform as Nairobi Approval System Faces Scrutiny Over Inefficiency and Graft
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The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has voiced strong concerns over protracted delays and a lack of transparency in the development approval process within Nairobi County. Eng. Shammah Kiteme, President of the IEK, revealed that the organization has presented these critical issues to the Planning Committee of the Nairobi County Assembly, stemming from numerous complaints by their members.
Addressing the committee, Eng. Kiteme highlighted that submissions for development approval often face excessive waiting times, with no clear mechanism for engineers to track the status or stage of their applications. This unpredictability, he noted, has significantly hampered their operations and created considerable frustration within the development sector.
“We raised these issues after several complaints coming from our members,” Eng. Kiteme stated, expressing gratitude for the committee’s attentiveness. “We appreciate they have been able to listen to us.”
Beyond merely identifying the problems, the IEK has extended an offer of collaboration to the county government. Eng. Kiteme emphasized the institution’s readiness to assist in identifying bottlenecks and proposing solutions to streamline the approval process.
“We would be of help if the county invites us to be able to track where the challenges are and to propose the submissions to address the challenges,” he added.
The IEK president drew a comparison with other counties, noting that approval processes elsewhere are often “fairly straightforward.” This observation underscores the IEK’s belief that Nairobi County’s development approval system has significant room for improvement, an endeavor they are committed to supporting.
Eng. Kiteme expressed confidence that their engagement with the county assembly would lead to meaningful changes, alleviating the “pain that our members have been going through” and addressing the challenges faced by developers.
Corruption Allegations Surface
In a more direct accusation, Eng. Shammah Kiteme explicitly stated that corruption has “crippled order in the construction industry” within Nairobi County. He vowed to submit within seven days the names of “corrupt officers in the county executive extorting architects seeking approval,” alleging that these officials “only receive some money in order to approve the licences disabling our operations.”
The MCAs, led by Community Chairperson Alvin Palapala, who represents Kitusuru Ward, responded to these serious allegations. Palapala affirmed that upon receiving the names of those involved in what he termed “cartels,” he would “unmask them to the chambers during report writing.”
“We called the engineers after getting a lot of complaints and they have revealed to us how the situation is at the ground,” stated Palapala. He issued a stern warning that “those leading in violation of the construction rules will be forced to resign as investigations continue. There is no way county officers will lead to support non-compliance developers.”
The engagement between the IEK and the Nairobi County Assembly’s Planning Committee marks a crucial step towards addressing long-standing issues within the county’s development sector, with a clear focus on both procedural efficiency and combating corruption.
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