Construction of a 17 storey building in Nairobi set for demolition has resumed; this is after The National Building Inspectorate (NBI), which the National Construction Authority is a part of gave the developers a go ahead.
Reasons for halting
NCA and Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) both halted the construction in December 2016. This is due to a myriad of non-compliance issues.
Lack of resident supervision team fit for a project of its scale was part of the reasons behind the site’s closure.
Additionally, the building lacked a fire exit or a staircase to access the basement. Also, the concrete works and overall workmanship was of poor quality.
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The nod to salvage the 17 storey building
The nod to salvage the building was given after structural audit reports were conclusive. Consultants hired by the developer and an independent audit by the Material, Testing and Research division of the Ministry of Transport Infrastructure and Urban Development both found that the building could be salvaged.
NBI Secretary and National Disaster Management Unit Deputy Director Qs. Moses Nyakiongora confirmed the reports. He said that the methodology for salvaging presented by rehabilitation and retrofitting experts on behalf of the developer was fit.
The salvaging process will proceed once the developer provides all the necessary compliance paperwork to NCA and NCCG.
The requirements on NCA’s part are registration of the project and contractor. Also, accreditation of construction workers and safety measures such as hoarding and PPE (personal protective equipment) is a requirment.
About The National Building Inspectorate
NBI was established by a Presidential Directive in 2016, following a series of fateful building collapses across the country. Its mandate is to undertake a comprehensive audit of all existing buildings with a view of profiling those that have not met the standards of construction.
To date, a total of 4831 buildings have been audited, 650 of which require immediate testing. Demolition of 34 buildings, ranging from four to seven stories in height have also taken place.
