Key Roles of the National Construction Authority

Constituted under Act No. 41 of 2011 after intense lobbying by stakeholders, the National Construction Authority (NCA) plays a key role in regulating the Kenyan construction industry.

The National Construction Authority Act took effect on December 2, 2011, after President Mwai Kibaki assented to the Bill. It was operationalised on June 8, 2012.

Roles of NCA in the construction industry

One of the main functions of the NCA is to weed out quarks and put an end to shoddy works in the local construction industry, which had remained unregulated since 1986 when Parliament disbanded the National Construction Corporation.

This is achieved through: –

1. Registration of Contractors

The NCA Act empowers the Executive Director of the National Construction Authority to “accredit and register contractors and regulate their professional undertakings”.

Indeed, NCA Kenya is required to publish a Register of Contractors containing details of all construction companies approved to operate in the country, including the class of works and category for which a company is registered.

Practicing licenses expire on June 30th every year.

Here’s the renewal procedure.

Section 15 of the Act states that no contractor shall conduct the business of a contractor without a clearance certificate from the Authority.

The section also sets a fine of Sh1 million or a three-year jail term or both for contractors who breach this provision.

2. Project Registration

The NCA is authorised to keep a register of all construction works happening across the country. A developer must register their projects with the agency.

Erecting a building without NCA’s approval is a criminal offence.

RELATED: How to Register a Project with NCA

3. Accreditation of Workers

Accreditation and certification of contractors, skilled construction workers and construction site supervisors is one of the key roles of the National Construction Authority.

Accreditation helps to ensure that every individual working in a construction site has the necessary skills to undertake the respective trade.

Holders of technical training certificates and trade tests from the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) or competency-based assessments from accredited training institutions should apply for accreditation.

The same case applies to individuals who do not have technical training certificates and trade tests but have at least two years of documented work experience.

Construction workers without technical training certificates or trade tests and at least two years of documented experience should apply for apprenticeship.

RELATED: NCA Site Supervisor Registration

4. Research

Undertaking or commissioning research into matters relating to the building sector is another major role of the National Construction Authority.

Research findings augment the drive towards the attainment of the NCA mandate and objectives of streamlining the local construction industry.

So far, the NCA has steered several studies including a survey on the status of professionals in the business and the mapping of technical training institutes.

NCA Kenya also holds the Annual Construction Research Exhibition and Conference, which helps industry stakeholders to discuss matters of construction business development in the country.

Join 15,000+ pros getting our weekly digest of news and insights.