AAK incoming president Mugure Njendu on the night of March 28, 2019
during the association's gala dinner after an AGM where she was voted
into office. Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana officiated the event.
PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG
The lack of input from architects and town planners has been
blamed for poor quality and unattractive buildings in major towns in
Kenya.
Council of Governors vice-chairman Kivutha
Kibwana says county governments lack money to hire senior architects
that see them relying on consultant architects on big ticket projects,
while small jobs are left to technicians within their building
departments.
“There is a lot of investments going on in
the counties where our main concern is revenue collections but we lack
professional input by architects and town planners that would make our
public buildings beautiful.
Subsidised fees
"Now
we have to duplicate buildings plans for every dispensary and school
are duplicated across town. We request architects and other built
environment professionals to volunteer their services at subsidised fees
to enable county governments plan,” said Prof Kibwana, who is also the
Makueni governor.
The governor spoke in Nairobi during
the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) Annual General Meeting
where architect Emma Miloyo handed over the association’s presidency to
urban planner Mugure Njendu.
Prof Kibwana called on
built environment professionals to support the anti-graft war by
rejecting handouts, naming and shaming anyone trying to compromise
standards.
Better services
He said this could help Kenyans enjoy better services as well as safeguard lives through quality work.
The
governor urged architects and other construction professionals to
contribute towards low cost housing by producing models that can be
replicated at low costs, saying this will improve livelihoods of the
poor.
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