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{
    "id": 816036,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/816036/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 357,
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    "content": "infrastructure and engineering professionals. Therefore, the National Construction Authority (NCA) was set up to regulate this industry. Section 17 of the National Construction Authority Act empowers the NCA to register these organisations. If you check what they have done, they have only created a portal where contractors come in. I do not know whether they ever do onsite inspection on the competencies of those contractors. Contractors fill forms, go through the six stages and then click on the level of renewal. Once everything is filled in satisfactorily, they get a certificate that they are contractors who can carry out the responsibilities of taking care of the infrastructure, most of which are buildings where ordinary Kenyans stay. No wonder we are seeing buildings collapse because of the lack of certain elements that needs to be put in place in order to make the local contractors competitive. So, whereas we are fighting for their existence to carry out the projects, we are also asking them to build professional capacity to handle certain levels of jobs that go out for tender. They also must liaise between themselves and financial institutions, so that they can build financial capacity. The NCA, to a certain measure, should help them to do so. Madam Temporary Speaker, the third element, which I have seen throughout, is the ethical considerations of contractors. Where they are supposed to reinforce buildings, they are putting fragile structures. For instance, instead of putting heavy steel on buildings that require columns and steel, they are using fragile steel. So, as soon as they reach the second floor, the weight of concrete bends the steel and we get calamities and disasters. In case of minor seismic earthquakes - not of high Richter scales - these buildings are bound to collapse. As I drove along the Mai-Mahiu-Narok Road, when we had a fault line emanating from Longonot, I saw buildings that had been ripped open because they were not done to standard. However, the earthquake that brought that kind of condition was heavier. Interestingly, Section 22 of the National Construction Authority Act empowers the board to inquire into the conduct of a contractor on its initiative. We expect that some of these multinational companies come into the country with ethical considerations. However, they have thrown ethics through the window. They have also brought alongside with them other operators of kiosks, so that they are able to access and resource on items which have been imported from foreign countries. Therefore, a local contractor has no chance whatsoever to do anything useful. When I was the Minister for Local Government, we had the El Nino rains that caused many potholes in this City and many other towns. For example, Kenyatta Avenue had huge potholes. We came up with the Kenyan Urban Transport Programme, which was funded by the World Bank. They insisted on certain criteria that had to be met. I put my foot down and spoke to the Director of the World Bank. I said that I wanted to see our local contractors involved in the remodeling of the road, in a manner that would hold them to account if they are not able to do a good job. Kenyatta Avenue was resurfaced for only Kshs25 million. I remember the local contractor telling me that this road would last many years without potholes on it. That is when I decided to put the water fountain so that it could cool the nerves of drivers. I am glad that it still exists. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}