The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has expressed concern over the growing challenges faced by its members in the submission and approval of development plans in Nairobi City County.
IEK in a statement on April 26 alleged that engineers are facing frustrations from corruption, inefficiency, and lack of transparency in the development approval process.
While accusing the County government of Corruption and Unethical Practices within the approval system, IEK said that professionals have reported instances where development plans are delayed or rejected arbitrarily unless informal payments or favors are rendered.
“Such practices erode public trust and jeopardize the safety and integrity of the approval process. Corruption directly affects the pace and quality of urban development, exposing the public to unsafe infrastructure and unjust development outcomes,” read part of the statement.
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IEK slams Nairobi City County over approval development plans
On inefficiency and poor service delivery, the engineers decried that many development applications continue to face unnecessary delays despite the establishment of an online platform for submission, the NPDMS (Nairobi Planning & Development Management System).
IEK added that reports indicate that unless follow-ups are made through physical visits to the county offices, submissions remain unattended, with approvals taking as long as a year.
“At this point our clients think Engineers are incompetent and the credibility dent is a career threat to our members. Of course, the corrupt system is designed to manufacture desperation inducing the need to bribe to get the approvals and save face. This not only negates the purpose of digitization but also fuels gatekeeping and rewards rent seeking,” the institution added.
The engineers further stated that the NPDMS which was intended to simplify, streamline and digitize the approval process, has been purposely made to fail.
According to the institution members have reported cases of delay or missing payment confirmations, unclear workflows and feedback channels, excessive manual interventions despite digital submissions and lack of integration with other key institutions (e.g., utilities, survey, and environment departments).
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Engineers call for overhaul of digital systems
IEK argued these weaknesses have not only inconvenienced its members but also “deliberately engineered to defeat the very intention of the digitalization of the development approval process.”
“When county systems are compromised, engineers are unable to execute their mandate effectively. This results in delayed development, compromised building quality, and ultimately frustrating development.
In turn, the engineers have called upon the Nairobi City County, Ministry of Lands, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations and other oversight agencies to swiftly conduct a thorough audit of the development plan approval process and engage professional bodies like IEK in designing and monitoring reforms.
They have also called for those found culpable of corruption or maladministration to be held accountable, the fast-tracking of reforms to the digital submission and approval platform, and the establishment of a clear service-level timelines to be enforced.
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