The Brief Is....... Provide Six Million Housing Units in Twenty Years

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Kenya needs a new master plan to help deliver at least six million housing units over the next 20 years if the current housing shortage is to be overcome, architects have said.

According to Mr Steven Oundo, the chairman of the Architectural Association of Kenya, this means that about 300,000 units will need to be produced every year.

Currently, it is estimated that the country produces between 35,000 and 40,000 units a year against a demand of about 150,000 units in urban areas alone.

“This (our proposal) is a realistic target,” said Mr Oundo.

One way of encouraging such developments, he said, was for the government to provide tax incentives, including value added tax exemption on professional services for consultants involved in low-cost development projects worth at least Sh20 million.

The conclusion of the revisions to the building code will also promote the adoption of new technologies in building, considering that it is more performance- than material-specific, he added.

“The high construction cost has been compounded by high taxation of building materials. There are few locally manufactured materials used in Kenya. We are, therefore, exposed to such increases in costs of building materials, compounded by the weakening position of the Kenya shilling against the major world currencies,” he said.

The increasing cost of electricity, he added, also impacts negatively on the construction costs, particularly with regard to cement production where there is heavy consumption of electricity.

“We end up producing cement that is much more expensive than that produced in Egypt or India,” he said.

“We find ourselves in a situation where planning for amenities follows development instead of the actual construction being undertaken on serviced land. This has partly contributed to excessive speculation on land prices.”

Source: Daily Nation

Piece of Italy on Mt Kenya by Muchiri Gitonga

War, that bloody business by humanity gone mad, has a way of making the boom of guns, the smell and rivulets of blood, innocence ruined, and ambitions shattered unforgettable by its sheer gore.

War and its memories are also immortalised in brick and mortar to capture and make real what poignancy may evade memory. This would explain the Italian-built shrine in Nyeri and its tree-lined drive and well-tended lawns against the backdrop of the picturesque Nyeri Hill.

It also explains why we have numerous memorial this and that. It is not that those who put up such structures are extravagant. Theirs is a burning desire to keep certain memories, certain fires burning.

Five kilometres from Nyeri town, the Italian War Memorial Church off the Ihururu Road is the eternal home of the remains of 676 soldiers, mostly Italians, captured by British soldiers during the Second World War.

Vaults containing the remains of African soldiers, mostly from Somaliland, who could not be interred inside the church because of their faith, are housed in another structure outside the church. The Somalis had fought alongside the Italians.

On the vaults are engraved the names and dates of death of the soldiers. Lying in front of the two columns of rows of simple wooden pews and just before the altar is one marble-lined tomb. It is that of the Duke of Aosta, Prince Amedeo Savoia-Aosta, the leader of the soldiers.

Benito Mussolini, who lead Italy to the Second World War, had in 1937 made Prince Amedeo the commander-in-chief of all the forces in Italian East Africa.

Mass at the Italian War Memorial Church is held only once a year.

Scores of Italian families, friends, and government officials throng the beautiful brick-walled compound to pay homage to their country’s fallen soldiers.

For Italy, November 4 is set aside to remember the country’s soldiers who died for their motherland, explained former Italian ambassador to Kenya Pierandrea Magistrati.

Last year, Italians living in Kenya marked the day on November 6. A crowd of Italian families, government officials led by then ambassador Mr Magistrati, a few nuns of Italian origin, and a handful of local residents congregated in the church.

Italy’s and Kenya’s flags were hoisted at the entrance.

Green-white-red ribbons hang on the interior walls of the church. The marble tomb of Prince Amedeo left no doubt that this was an Italian state function.

The annual ritual brings together Italians resident in Kenya or other parts of Africa with their families.

Throughout the hour-long mass conducted in Italian by an African priest bathed in soft light from giant candles and windows, two armed soldiers in black and white uniform stand attention on each side of the altar.

The Italian Government and its nationals residing in Kenya funded the construction of the church back in 1952.

Ms Halina Pellin says her family has been coming here for the past 58 years to pay tribute to their father’s cousin, Pellin Armando.

According to Halina, Armando died on August 8, 1946 after he and her father were held captive by the British while fighting in Ethiopia.
Last year, Halina was accompanied by her mother Christina and brother Riccardo Pellin. With her father now dead, the family feels obligated to pay tribute to his cousin as he would have done if he was still alive.

“I never met him,” says Halina as she places her hand on the vault bearing the remains of the departed relative.

“When he died, he was a British prisoner of war alongside my late father. It’s very touching. It signified more for my father who was with him when he passed away.”

The Pellin family has been coming here since 1952.

“It has become our family tradition to attend the annual Mass. In fact, we started coming here long ago when this road was made. It makes us feel closer to our past,” says Riccardo.

Like many of his fellow soldiers, Armando had been captured by the British in Ethiopia and transported to Kenya as prisoners of war. Many of the captives, including Prince Amedeo, would later die of malaria and tuberculosis in the war camps.

One of the legacies of their captivity in Kenya is the Mai Mahiu Road on the scenic escarpment to the floor of the Rift Valley.

In recent years, some Italian families have been repatriating the remains of their relatives for burial in their country.

“It’s true that some families have requested that the remains of their relatives be brought back to Italy. It’s also right to have the remains there,” says Halina, who lives in Kenya.

According to Mr Magistrati, every government has a duty to remember its soldiers who die for the country. He said the Italian Ministry of Defence spends about 6,000 euros (about Sh723,000) in addition to private donations from soldiers’ relatives, to maintain this shrine.

“It’s a symbol of friendship between Italy and Kenya because we have many priests and nuns working around here,” said Mr Magistrati.

After its construction, all the known remains of Italian soldiers in various graveyards in East Africa were gathered and transported to be interred in this architectural masterpiece. This became possible with the help of a committee formed in 1955 for that purpose.

Those buried in the church died as they sought to fulfil the dreams of Italian political and military leaders in the first decades of the 20th century.

The reign of Prince Amedeo as the Governor-General of Ethiopia had been marked by development of infrastructure and high standards of living and general improved quality of life in the new Italian territory.

Under his command, Italian troops accomplished their greatest feat in the Second World War by defeating British troops in British Somaliland.  This victory was, however, short-lived as crucial supply lines for his forces were cut by the British.

Prince Amedeo died in Thika on March 3, 1942, after refusing an offer by the British to be held in England, where he would have been more comfortable until the end of the war.

Source: Daily Nation

Kenyan builders building capacity - Winsley Masese

The construction industry is one of the fastest growing in the country and with increased government spending the outlook can only get brighter.

With focus shifting to development of infrastructure in the devolved government, contractors are upbeat that this will increase their revenue streams and experience.

Treasury recently said it would seek Parliament’s approval for Sh3.4 billion in supplementary budget to finance setting up offices and assemblies for county officials.

“This presents us with a key source of income and opportunity to gain experience to serve clients better,” said Mr Dennis Busienei, a director of Mobek Works Company Ltd, based in Bomet.

Though lack of technology is cited as cause for losing out to foreign contractors, especially roads, Mr Timas Gasaya of Gasen Construction Company has a different view.

“Lack of equipment cannot be blamed for not securing a tender as witnessed before as there are equipment for hire.”

The difficult bit, Mr Gasaya points out, is when a contractor is required to finance 5 per cent of the project cost.

To help the sub-sector, the government has approved the formation of a National Construction Authority, through the National Construction Authority Bill, which aims to regulate the sector.

The Bill, to be tabled in Parliament soon, proposes setting up of a fund to support upcoming contractors. The National Construction Authority is expected to replace the National Housing Corporation.

[caption id="attachment_1475" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Many contractors are said to have weak technical capacity to undertake works of the scope that they are engaged leading to poor quality and unsafe buildings being constructed - Source: Daily Nation"][/caption]

Local contractors argue that they have lost out to foreign contractors as their countries support them financially.

“We do not get support from the government to buy equipment as foreign counterparts and this gives them a competitive advantage,” said Mr Busienei.

Besides, he adds, foreign contractors are given favourable terms as investors with their equipment attracting lower tax as opposed to Kenyan firms importing the same.

During a conference in Nairobi for contractors, Public Works Permanent Secretary Prof John Lonyangapuo said local contractors are notorious for delaying works.

“Those found with delaying projects, ballooning the costs beyond the variation provisions will have their tenders terminated,” he warned.

However, Mr Gasaya said the government must take a share of the blame.

“Every contractor is assigned a quantity surveyor to supervise the work and in case there is poor workmanship or failure to complete work within the stipulated project period, he or she should be held responsible,” he said.

Architectural Association of Kenya chairman Steven Oundo blames the government, consultants, developers and contractor.

“There is poor enforcement of existing building laws and regulations and weak technical capacity in local authorities, corruption and impunity, on the government’s side,” he says. Developers, he says, prefer to use unqualified persons over professionals.

Source: Daily Nation

Rise of the Gated Community - Eagle Plains Estate off Mombasa Road

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Hidden off Mombasa Road, about 50 metres behind Panari Hotel, lies Eagles Plain — a breathtaking residential housing estate. It is in close proximity to the city centre and industrial area in a mixed zone and on the way to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. According to the architect, Andrew Kimani of FNDA Architecture, the estate is erected on a 28-acre plot that holds 307 units.

The single-storied houses have four spacious bedrooms with three bathrooms and a master ensuite. They also have a lounge, dining area, fitted kitchen with a pantry and a detached servant’s quarter. The houses are being sold at Sh11 million up from the initial price of Sh6m. Those who want to rent will have to part with Sh50,000 or more every month.

Surrounding commercial centres like Capital Centre, Panari Sky Centre, Nakumatt Hyper, Nakumatt Embakasi and Metro-Stores along Nairobi-Mombasa Highway caters for major shopping. There is a small shop within the estate for fast moving commodities like milk and bread. Plans are in place to build a commercial centre within the estate.

Each house sits on a 24 by 10 metre space and has cabro worked driveways and a back and front yard. The gated estate has concrete block paving and well-lit landscaped pedestrian walkways. It also enjoys a 24-hour security, which is reinforced by a police post right outside the gate.

Accessing the estate, however, is a challenge and many residents are forced to use a small footpath from Mombasa Road via Nakumatt godown. When it rains it becomes impassable. The main entrance is either through Road C off Enterprise Road or Road C off Likoni Link Road just before Parkside Towers on Mombasa Road. The residents are waiting for the completion of Enterprise Road which begun in 2008 but has since stalled.

By Wangeci Kanyeki - Standard Media

Battle for Vice Chairmanship as AAK goes to the polls

The Architectural Association of Kenya members will be electing a new governing council before their 44th AGM to be held on Friday, 25th March 2011. Incumbent chairman, Arch. Steven Oundo, is largely expected to retain his seat for a second term with indications that he will be running for the seat unopposed. Arch. Oundo has been largely credited for having spearheading reforms in the construction sector and has been at the forefront in the fight against unfair procurement procedures that AAK members have been subjected to in the past.

The race has thus shifted to the position of vice chairman, with three strong contenders for the post. This is seemingly the most strategic position to hold for those seeking to take over after Arch. Oundo clears his second and final term as AAK chairman in 2013. Those in the race are Arch. Waweru Gathecha - immediate former chairman AAK Architects Chapter, Arch. Maxwell Suero - immediate former chairman of AAK Mombasa branch and QS Festus Litiku - the incumbent vice chairman. QS Litiku is facing a daunting task to retain his seat.

This election also brings to the fore the voting procedures for the association. Currently, the association sends ballot papers to all its eligible members via post. These members are then required to fill up the ballots and return them to the secretariat before a set deadline. This procedure, besides being too costly for the association, is also prone to irregularities. A member is planning to move a motion to have the elections conducted via the association's website which was recently upgraded.

The election results will be announced on 25th march at the AGM.

The smart estate concept

Imagine living in a middle-income neighbourhood where all houses boast a fresh coat of environmentally-friendly, same-colour paint; security guards are clad in matching colours; and all vehicles sport waste bags and stickers preaching green tips.

Outside, the streets are clearly marked and an estate map is readily available. The roads are clean and well-maintained, and street-lighting is perfectly working. As if that is not enough, the neighbourhood boasts a botanical garden and a resource centre with information on best environmental practices. Here, everything feels fresh and appeals to the eye. It is serene, harmonious, orderly and breath-taking. It is smart.

Sounds far-fetched? Well, not really. Something like that may soon be coming near you, courtesy of a new concept dubbed ‘Smart Estate’.

The model project will be a collaborative effort between the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara) and members of neighbourhood associations with support from like-minded corporate organisations.

They will work closely with local authorities and relevant watchdogs like the National Environment Management Authority (Nema). Its main aim is to improve the quality and standard of residential areas through sound environmental management.

“The whole project is anchored on the need to inculcate good environmental management practices among residents. We want to encourage environmental sustainability in residential estates,” says Henry Ochieng, the programme officer at Kara.

Ochieng’ says that, for a start, the project targets middle-income estates “with some sort of order”. By this, he means they must have perimeter walls and ample open space, and that’s why Ngei II Estate in Nairobi’s Lang’ata area has been chosen as a pilot.

Developed by the National Housing Corporation in 1974, Ngei II Estate is a middle-income neighbourhood with 300 housing units, and boasts a lot of open space. If successful, the project will be replicated in other middle-income residential areas across Nairobi and the entire country.

About Sh24.5 million is required to complete the whole project. Residents will be required to chip in financially or “use their connections” to get individuals or organisations to sponsor various aspects of the project. In developing Ngei II as a smart estate, the project is going to focus mainly on waste management, parking, security and aesthetics (physical outlook).

All the activities are aimed at enhancing the aesthetic and visual harmony of the neighbourhood. However, Ochieng says they will guarantee that the intended re-designing of the estate meets the needs of the local residents. It is generally recognised that the quality of people’s homes is influenced by the spaces around them, and how those spaces are utilised.

There is an increasing recognition that well-designed and managed green spaces, roads and lawns next to housing developments contribute to people’s quality of life and make residential areas better places to live in. People should be able to open their front doors and step out onto attractive and clean streets that make them feel good.

Realising this goal is going to be a major plank in the Ngei II smart estate project. Residents will renovate all the buildings and have them repainted in one colour, if possible. They will then repaint their gates with colours matching the surrounding, and install clear and well-coloured signposts indicating the direction of the estate before the main gate.

This will be complemented by user-friendly maps indicating direction to different houses and house numbers. The new dawn will also see the use of fences that are as natural as possible, but which provide maximum security. Well-maintained lawns and flowerbeds outside every house will be a common feature.

“You can only live long when the environment is conducive and habitable. Under the smart project, we are required to plant as many trees as possible, especially in the open spaces, so that the neighbourhood can conform to what is called a Green Estate in the Sun,” says Major Moses Mulehi, the chairman of Ngei II Residents Association.

He says the project will help in instilling a “culture of environmental consciousness,” thus enhancing the quality of the environment. “In Ngei II, we insist that if you want to modify your house — let’s say you want to expand your servant quarter — we must be involved so that you don’t end up interfering with the general appearance of the estate,” he says.

Under waste management, Kara and Ngei II residents intend to borrow a leaf from “Tenga Taka Tuimarike Project (Kiswahili for Separate Waste for Prosperity)”, a successful waste management project jointly launched by Kara and Practical Action in Plainsview Estate, Nairobi in 2005.

Through the project, residents have learnt source-separation of waste — the waste is separated in three categories, with recyclable plastics and related waste being placed in yellow bags, organics in green and other waste in brown coloured trash bags.

But, unlike in the case of Plainsview, in Ngei, separated organic manure will find a ready use in being composted into manure for greening the estate. Clearly marked bins will also be placed strategically at different points within the estate for dumping of the waste. Organic materials will be composted by use of a commercial composting bin or free-standing compost piles.

The compost generated will be used as a component of potting and container mixes for growing a variety of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants. The compost will be blended with poorer soils for establishment of various plants and turf grass at the edges of the fence.

It will also be used for landscaping: being used as mulch for garden beds, trees and shrub planting. The estate will also be smart in the area of transport. To start with, 25-seater matatus will be introduced to specifically pick and drop residents at their work places.

They will be required to adhere to some set standards, such as “no blaring music”, to maintain order and reduce noise pollution. All vehicles within Ngei II estate will be fitted with special waste bags in which waste can be dropped. In addition, stickers with environment tips will be fitted on all vehicles within the estate.

The estate will operate resident parking zones and permits so that residents and their visitors know where they are supposed to park. This is expected to curb parking spillover on residential streets. Security guards within the estate will also be required to be environment-conscious. The security guards will be required to be in uniforms that match with the surrounding environment.

Whether or not the project will be replicated in other estates largely depends on the outcome of the Ngei pilot project. But Ochieng is optimistic: “We hope to reach a point whereby it is members of particular estates who will be inviting us to go and show them how to do it.”

Source: Daily Nation

Is the term 'Architecture' being misused?

Martin Tairo Maseghe says his profession of Architecture is being soiled by being figuratively associated with some negative things that have happened in the country in the past. “The continued use of the word ‘architect’ while referring to the mega swindles is annoying. Talk of ‘the Goldenberg architect’, ‘Anglo Leasing architect’, ‘maize scandal architect’ and others is common today. While the term may loosely mean someone who creates something, it should be made clear that our noble profession does not involve looting or carrying out other economic crimes.”

Source: Daily Nation - The Cutting Edge