• County embarked to approve construction permits to clear an eight-month backlog.
• Eliminates the need for property developers to submit hard copies of development plans for stamping upon approval.
Image: FILE
The Nairobi government has launched an online QR Code System for development plans.
The online QR Code system will provide a unique identification of all approved architectural and structural plans, eliminating the need for property developers to submit hard copies of development plans for stamping upon approval.
This comes a month after the county announced the start of a weekly plan to approve construction permits to clear an eight-month backlog.
It also reduces the approval time for construction permits. Approvals were halted in August last year after trouble hit the Planning department, leading to the suspension of some officials.
Lands executive Charles Kerich said the weekly approvals would ease the flow of work and developers will get the opportunity to change what they want in their legal construction and property applications.
The technical committee under the Lands, Housing and Urban Planning sector also had resolved to be meeting every Wednesday for consideration and approval of low-risk development application.
The projects that were to be approved are divided into five categories: single dwelling houses, excluding large comprehensive schemes; godowns and warehouses of up to 1400 square metres; all apartments of four levels and below; renewals for already approved building plans and changes in use and subdivision schemes; and all internal alterations and amendments not exceeding 500m2.
The technical committee was further required to meet every 14 days — second and fourth Thursday of every month — to approve other development applications, which do not fall in the above categories.
In September 2019, the Kenya Institute of Planners accused the county government of failing to provide building approvals for four months. They also accused the county of unnecessary delays in processing development applications, alleging political interference.
Governor Mike Sonko shifted the blame to the Planning department officials, accusing them of approving substandard buildings.
Earlier in August, Sonko had suspended Urban Planning chief officer Justus Kathenge. A month later, he suspended him a second time.
On September 25, 2019, the governor suspended 16 county officials, including two county executives, after a classroom at Precious Talent Academy collapsed, killing eight pupils.
Fifteen of those suspended were members of the technical committee. They included Kathenge, planning compliance and enforcement director Jusper Ndeke, development director Dominic Mutegi, assistant director enforcement Fredrick Ochanda and director of urban planning Ruth Waruguru.
The others were assistant director of planning Thomas Dudi, development officer (regularisation of buildings/approval of architectural plans) Simon Onyango, development control (overseeing approvals of buildings and schools on behalf of public health and safety) Alex Mucheru, development control (approval of building plans and school inspection) Mackline Saitera and in-charge of approval of public buildings and schools on behalf of public health Edna Guantai.
On January 8, 2020, all the above were cleared after investigations into the tragedy were completed.
In February, the value of approved housing projects dropped by Sh69 billion within one year. This was caused by the hitches faced at City Hall on permit issuance.
The Architectural Association of Kenya said the value dropped to Sh141 .27 billion in 2019 compared to Sh210 billion reported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in 2018.
"The delay in the processing of construction permits by the Nairobi government negatively affects all persons in the construction value chain by prolonging project implementation timelines," AAK said.
The association further faulted the delays on the suspensions of City Hall's technical planning committee and e-permit downtime in the second half of 2019.