State government to consider recognising construction managers after petition

After receiving a petition from the agency, the Indian state public works department agreed to include construction managers in the legal recognition like other professionals in the construction industry.

The petition submitted to the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, Joel Arumonyan, noted that the country lacks a legal framework for construction managers or construction project managers.

In addition, a bill was drafted Acknowledge this quota Although higher education institutions are offering courses and supplying the market with graduates with relevant skills, the training of professional talents in construction is still elusive.

The letter to the PS dated August 5, 2024, also states that the newly formulated national building code does not recognize them.

High Court

The president of the Institute of Construction Project Managers of Kenya (ICPMK), Tom Oketch, said despite their contribution in the formulation of the national building code, they were still not recognised.

“We understand that a petition has been filed in the High Court of Nairobi, Kenya, challenging various aspects of the National Building Code Legal Notice No. 47 of 2024,” the letter reads.

Mr Okechi said in his letter that despite the support of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Public Works to establish a legal framework for professionals, these efforts have yet to bear fruit.

“Unfortunately, our efforts have not been successful. Sadly, most of the malpractices found in the construction industry can be attributed to construction project managers who lack proper supervision,” he said.

In his letter, he detailed how he discovered in March 2012 After the meeting, with the then Minister of Public Works (Cabinet Secretary) to create separate legislation to provide construction project managers with the same laws as other professionals such as architects and quantity surveyors.

“We found that developed countries such as South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom also adopted this approach,” he said in the letter. “The outcome of the consultation meeting eventually led to the drafting of the Construction Project Managers and Building Managers Bill 2012.”

The Bill seeks to create an Act of Parliament similar to that for architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. This would allow the profession to be regulated.

“There is no regulatory legal framework in Kenya for the practice of construction management and construction project management,” Mr Okechi said.

He added that the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Committee had reviewed CAP 525 at one point, with the hope of including construction management and construction project management practices in the new Built Environment Act along with other professions.

Quantity Surveyor

CAP 525 is the legislation that oversees architects and quantity surveyors.

“By registering under the Act, professionals will be responsible for maintaining and controlling construction standards, professional conduct and ethics. The increasing demand for satisfactory delivery of construction projects at the national and county levels calls for proper regulation through legislation,” Mr Okochi said.

He listed Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Tech Union Kenya and Jaramoji University of Science and Technology as universities that produce graduating construction managers every year.

“It has made a significant contribution to our country’s construction industry and overall economy,” he said.

This is a fact acknowledged by the PS, who, after a meeting with the association, noted that legislation is needed to recognize this group of professionals.

“Our universities are producing graduates in construction management and training construction project managers at the management level and as the national department responsible for standards, we encourage continuous development,” Mr Arumunyan said.

He said the state Public Works Department, which administers the service schemes for architects and quantity surveyors, also needed to accredit construction managers. He said the government would work with universities and professionals so that they (construction managers and construction project managers) could come on board.

He saidwill also ensure that the industry Get rid of unprofessional personnel and reduce the threat of building collapse.

“We will do this only if the law also recognizes them,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiment, Mr Okechi said the creation of a legal framework for construction managers and construction project managers would enable identification of everyone on site.

“We will know who is responsible for which quotas and where the failures are coming from,” he said.

The bill of parliament was one of the demands in the petition submitted to the PS on August 5, 2024, and the association proposed to review CAP 525 as an alternative.

He added: “We expect Congress to introduce a bill specifically targeting construction project managers and construction managers, or make some kind of adjustment in the existing legal framework to establish order.”