Kenya building audit finds 12,018 of 21,282 inspected sites failed safety checks

A quality assurance report by Kenya's State Department for Public Works, tabled in Parliament, found that 12,018 of the 21,282 buildings inspected between July 1, 2025 and April 2, 2026 — about 56.5 per cent — failed to meet construction requirements, while 9,264, or 43.53 per cent, were classified as compliant.

Compliance varied sharply by region. The former Western Province recorded the highest rate at 77 per cent, with 1,183 of 1,520 inspected sites meeting requirements, followed by Mount Kenya at 65 per cent. Nairobi cleared 2,261 of 3,908 developments, a 57 per cent compliance rate. North Eastern had the lowest rate at 5 per cent, with only 11 of 220 sites approved to continue and 209 suspended. Upper Eastern recorded 14 per cent, while Central Rift, Coast and Central Nyanza registered 18.38, 20.25 and 20.68 per cent respectively. North Rift stood at 29.64 per cent, with Kiambu at 43 per cent and Kajiado at 48 per cent.

The report traces failures back to the design stage, citing developers who cut costs by compromising concrete quality and reinforcement quantities, particularly where weak ground conditions demand more careful structural engineering, as well as inadequate geotechnical investigations needed to establish ground-bearing capacity. It also identifies cases of unqualified individuals preparing architectural and engineering drawings, and credential renting in which registered professionals allow others to use their qualifications without providing the corresponding services.

On site, the audit cites incorrect concrete proportions, inadequate compaction and curing, insufficient temporary supports, reinforcement installed contrary to structural specifications, unauthorised additional floors and substandard building materials. In Mombasa, it states that five architects and three structural engineers handle 73 per cent of construction developments, raising questions about supervision capacity. The report also describes fragmented approvals involving county governments, the National Environment Management Authority and the National Construction Authority, alongside inadequate county enforcement capacity.

Kenya has recorded 100 building collapses since 1996, including eight in 2026 — the highest annual figure within the period covered by the report. It recommends mandatory inspections at critical stages including excavation, structural works, roofing and completion, coordinated building approvals, stronger professional accountability and wider adoption of Building Information Modelling. The report notes that its findings concern buildings assessed during the reporting period and should not be interpreted as evidence that the same proportion of all buildings in Kenya is structurally unsafe. The audit follows the October 23 collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in Eastleigh, Nairobi, whose specific cause remains subject to investigation.