NCA suspends projects with deep excavation

The National Construction Authority (NCA) has suspended all building works in the country for projects that exceed excavations of 4.5 meters.

With the new move, construction companies will have to have plans approved by structural engineers before being cleared to operate.

The construction authority has given contractors seven days to comply or risk having the building projects terminated or penalized.

“…the executive director and registrar of contractors hereby orders the suspension of all ongoing or planned construction works across the country with deep excavation exceeding 4.5 meters until the contractors provide proper and detailed plans approved by the project structural engineer on how the safety of workers will be assures, reads the statement from NCA.

The directive comes just days after a wall at a construction site in Westlands collapsed, leaving four workers dead.

Preliminary investigations into the collapse found the structure with 198 rooms was put up on a weak foundation.

NCA has been on the spot over increased number of collapsing buildings across the country, the most tragic one yet being the Huruma building collapse in April, which claimed 49 lives.

Soon after the collapse president Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an audit of the state of buildings which found that most buildings collapse were due to poor quality of concrete, lack of proper foundation and use of substandard building stones.

At the same time, contractors have until July 31 to renew their practicing licenses.