Engineers: Bribe demands, system failures hindering building approvals in Nairobi
Other engineers described additional frustrations, including delays in payment confirmations and unclear communication channels, which further slow down projects.
For nearly a year, engineers in Nairobi County have struggled with delays and confusion in the Nairobi City County government's online system for construction approvals.
Despite submitting required documents and paying fees, many report that the system goes blank with no feedback on whether applications are approved or rejected.
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This forces them to make repeated visits to City Hall, turning what should be a quick online process into a year-long ordeal, causing clients to abandon their building projects.
Shammah Kiteme, President of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), told the Nairobi County Assembly’s planning committee that some county officials exploit glitches in the system to demand bribes.
"The physical contact here in this context is that you need to exchange money so that the approval is carried out. Despite making the submission online, the contact person will tell you that the submission you made was never received, but they can fast-track the process for you. Is this how an online system works? There should be a digital footprint for each of the applications," Kiteme said.
He added that repeated complaints to the county executive have yielded no solutions. When pressed to name officials involved, he promised to present a list.
Other engineers described additional frustrations, including delays in payment confirmations and unclear communication channels, which further slow down projects.
Engineer John Robert Ogallo warned that these delays are driving away investors.
"It is difficult, and this is scaring away investors in the county. They are losing confidence in our local engineers, and they are unable to complete these projects. Some of them are also giving up on the investment that they want to carry out. We want to ensure that all these challenges are resolved and that we have a seamless process," he said.
The Nairobi Planning and Development Management System, designed to handle planning and development applications fully online, is supposed to process approvals within days.
It also manages permits for land amalgamation and outdoor advertisements.
However, engineers say the system often fails to recognise new registrations, making document uploads difficult.
In comparison, counties like Machakos and Kiambu approve construction applications within days, highlighting Nairobi’s lengthy delays that can stretch up to 12 months.
Alvin Palapala, Chairperson of the Nairobi County Assembly Planning Committee, announced plans to summon the county executive for an explanation.
"We have heard there are delays in the approval process, and we have hereby summoned the county executive regarding the system. We believe that this is deliberately delaying the process of approvals, and we are expected to meet the county executive next week to shed light," he said.
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