Kiambu seeks to fast-track building with new system

Kiambu has digitised and shortened the time it takes to get approval for the building and construction sector as it moves to better utilise its ever-expanding property sector.

All plan approvals must be submitted to the county electronically as opposed to the hard copies.

Land, Housing and Physical Planning Executive James Maina told the Business Daily that single-dwelling houses will now be approved within seven days upon due diligence and technical evaluation.

“Other development applications are evaluated and approved within 30 days in line with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act as well as compliance with building regulations. This is being consistently followed. All developments (architectural) are further subjected to civil and structural approvals and geotechnical analysis of the soils is a must requirement,” he said.

He said all approvals must be submitted and designed by qualified and registered professionals and “we have a surveillance team of engineers who check the construction sites and confirm whether the conditions of approval are being followed diligently”.

The move seeks to minimise bottlenecks that have for long dogged the sector, attracting brokers who serve as corruption link between developers and county officials mandated to approve and supervise constructions.