| Of late, several buildings have collapsed in Kenya. | | | | reference for Architects-such as with the Law |
| There are procedures and best practices that | | | | society of Kenya, we will be one step ahead in |
| should be followed to avoid this. | | | | ensuring qualified personnel offer Architectural |
| Step 1. | | | | service to Kenyans. |
| Have the building designed by registered | | | | Step 2. |
| professionals. Architects in Kenya are registered | | | | Once the developer has maneuvered their way |
| by the Board of Architects and Quantity | | | | into getting a licensed Architect to offer the |
| Surveyors of Kenya. The Board of Architects and | | | | service, drawings are produced and lodged for |
| Quantity Surveyors of Kenya is under the | | | | approval at the relevant Local Authority. |
| Ministry of Public Works. The registration process | | | | Most local authorities don't have adequate |
| is rigorous and is a 2- year examination whereby | | | | technical personnel to decipher the drawings and |
| the Government ensures that the applicant has | | | | give the necessary input for approval. |
| undergone training under a registered Architect | | | | Nairobi city council has the personnel but they are |
| for a certain period after graduating from a | | | | too few to handle all the workload that comes to |
| recognized Architecture School. | | | | them daily. |
| After registration as an Architect, the applicant | | | | Since the council can not offer professional |
| can then register with the Architectural | | | | technical information regarding the approvals, due |
| Association of Kenya as a corporate member. | | | | to understaffing and lack of the technical |
| The Architectural association of Kenya also | | | | know-how, this creates a perfect recipe for |
| registers students-student membership, | | | | corruption. The developer's approvals are delayed |
| architecture graduates who are not | | | | to the point that he is forced to part with some |
| registered-graduate membership, building | | | | money for the plans to be approved-usually |
| contractors, developers, draftsmen-virtually | | | | without the plans being scrutinized. If the plans are |
| everyone with an interest in construction. | | | | scrutinized and all processes are followed, a fatal |
| This begins the confusion in that a would-be | | | | omission will be easily noticed and structural |
| developer will approach a quack who is not | | | | drawings from a registered structural engineer are |
| registered to give Architectural services in Kenya. | | | | supposed to be produced. The Local authority is |
| The quack will then prove to the innocent | | | | also supposed to check that the plans have been |
| developer that he is registered to offer | | | | produced by a registered architect. |
| Architectural services by producing a registration | | | | Of late, local authorities have been insisting on the |
| certificate from Architectural Association of | | | | architect's registration-registration from the Board |
| Kenya as a Licentiate member. What the | | | | of Architects and Quantity Surveyors of Kenya. |
| developer doesn't know is that only Corporate | | | | This is a good step but the quacks and corrupt |
| and Fellow members have the Board of | | | | council officials have found a way of going around |
| Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors | | | | this by attaching a 'real' architect's certificate on |
| certification as a must have requirement. | | | | the drawings produced by the quack. This can be |
| I also noticed that even leading Banks and Financial | | | | easily stopped by ensuring that all buildings being |
| institutions still can not differentiate between the | | | | constructed should have a sign-board showing the |
| Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity | | | | name of the professionals who have been |
| Surveyors of Kenya certificate and an | | | | involved in the design. |
| Architectural Association of Kenya certificate. | | | | Step 3. |
| They insist that for someone to offer | | | | After the developer getting the necessary |
| Architectural services to their customers, one has | | | | approvals to commence construction, he is |
| to hold the Architectural Association of Kenya | | | | supposed to contract a registered building |
| certificate. What they don't know is that the | | | | contractor for construction services. |
| Architectural Association of Kenya Licentiate | | | | Building contractors are registered by the Ministry |
| certificate is open to a wide variety of | | | | of Public Works. |
| applicants-except the Corporate Membership | | | | The developer can either single-source a |
| certificate. This is the trick that is used by most | | | | contractor or request several registered |
| quacks to confuse innocent developers and | | | | contractors to quote or the building construction |
| Financial institutions that they have certificates to | | | | and choose the best. |
| offer architectural services since none of the | | | | The registration of the building contractor is |
| developers will insist of Corporate Membership | | | | supposed to show that the contractor has |
| certificate because they don't know about the | | | | proved that he understands building construction |
| categories of membership. | | | | and has agreed to adhere to the best practices |
| If a law is established to create one centre of | | | | as stipulated by the Government. |