Engineers Demand Reform as Corruption, Delays Stall Nairobi Construction Approvals

By Erick Ludeya

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has raised serious concerns over prolonged delays and corruption in the development approval process within Nairobi County. Speaking to the County Assembly Planning Committee on Tuesday, IEK President Eng. Shammah Kiteme highlighted numerous complaints from his members about the inefficiencies and lack of transparency plaguing the system.

Eng. Kiteme noted that many engineers have faced difficulties in tracking the progress of submitted development plans.

“Approvals are taking excessively long, and there is no clarity on the stages of the process,” he said. “This lack of predictability is disrupting our work and frustrating developers alike.”

The IEK president also drew attention to disparities in approval efficiency between counties.

“Other counties have more straightforward and predictable approval processes. We believe Nairobi can improve, and we are here to offer our help,” he said.

In a strong statement, Kiteme alleged that corruption within the county executive is crippling operations in the construction industry.

“In the next seven days, I will submit names of corrupt officers extorting architects for approvals. They only act when bribed,” he said, calling for urgent reforms.

The session was chaired by Kitusuru Ward Representative Alvin Palapala, who assured the engineers that action would be taken against those responsible for malpractice.

“Once we receive the names of the cartels, we will expose them during the report-writing stage. Anyone found facilitating non-compliant developments must resign as investigations continue,” he asserted.

Kiteme emphasized IEK’s readiness to collaborate with the county to streamline development approvals and restore order.

“We are not just raising issues—we are offering solutions. Let us work together to identify bottlenecks and fix them,” he concluded.