The just concluded Construction Industry Awards gala dinner which took place at the Carnivore Restaurant Lang’ata attracted top industry players who witnessed the awarding ceremony for outstanding firms in the industry. The event was endorsed by the National Construction Authority and with the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Charles Hinga in attendance.
The PS, did not hesitate to speak about some details of the affordable housing program, highlighting some of the strategies Government would be employing towards ensuring the success of the program. For many contractors it was music to the years as the PS spoke.
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“We will leverage large economies of scale in regards to the cost of construction. We’re creating a market aggregator that should provide this benefit. The last time this country had a boom was in 1979 with the coffee boom. Prepare yourselves for a construction boom in this country. This agenda alone will double our GDP in five years time,” he said.
On tackling the challenge of land affordability in Kenya, he said the ministry has set aside 7,500 acres at no cost to the end-user where some of the houses will be put up. “We will not only put up the land but we will service it as well because we are serious about this project,” he said.
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Seven participants received awards with Questworks Ltd. emerging as the Contractor of the Year and the ultimate winner of the night. The contractor of the year award sought to recognize the most outstanding contractor for excellent project implementation in regard to sustainability, growth strategy, innovation and health and safety requirements maintenance.
The particular project that bagged them the award was Strathmore Law School, where they demonstrated excellent quality in finishing with a good focus on sustainability.
During the ceremony NCA Executive Director, Eng. Maurice Akech announced the upcoming exhibition on Innovative Building Materials and Technologies (IBMT) where selected exhibitors will demonstrate cost effectiveness, innovative as well as function and environmental sustainability.
This will be conducted in the hope of finding the most efficient delivery models to be employed during the entire affordable housing project.
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