Managing risks for a safer built environment in Kenya: Building regulatory capacity assessment

This report assesses the building regulatory framework in Kenya, including building and land use regulations, enabling legislation, and local compliance mechanisms. Research and recommendations were developed with the strategic objective of improving building safety and resilience across the country.

The analysis and recommendations outlined in the report provide inputs with which the Government of Kenya can launch a comprehensive process of building regulatory reform. The recommendations proposed build on the existing efforts the Government has made to promote this agenda. 

Kenya is an emerging middle income country with a growing share of its population living in urban areas. With urbanisation comes a substantial amount of new construction, much of which has occurred in cities with limited capacity to ensure the structures in which people live, work and gather are safely sited and built to withstand both chronic stresses (i.e. fire and spontaneous collapse) and disaster shocks (i.e. earthquakes and floods). 

In many ways, Kenya is at a crossroads in its efforts of urbanising and developing towards middle income status. Regulatory decisions made now will have a significant impact on the longterm safety, productivity and resilience of the urban built environment.