Nairobi: Built environment professionals have rejected the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026, calling on Parliament to withdraw the proposed legislation and develop a comprehensive regulatory framework that gives individual professions greater autonomy.
According to Kenya News Agency, the professionals, drawn from the Association of Construction Managers of Kenya (ACMK), The Architects Alliance, and the Interior Designers Association of Kenya (IDAK), said the Bill seeks to regulate distinct professions under a single board despite differences in training, competencies, scopes of practice, and professional responsibilities. The Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 47 of 2026, was first read in Parliament on August 5, 2026, and referred to the Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi, ACMK President Ephraim Kakui emphasized that while professionals are not against regulation, they demand a system that adequately represents each profession. Kakui stated that placing architects, quantity surveyors, interior designers, landscape architects, construction project managers, and technicians under one board risks professional conflict, duplication, and weakened public protection.
Kakui urged Parliament to suspend the Bill to review previous research and proposals on the regulation of built environment professions, including work associated with Professor Alfred Omenya. The associations are advocating for an inclusive stakeholder process, clear scopes of practice, and profession-specific regulatory structures.
Architects Alliance Executive Member Arch. Muchiri Waititu criticized Kenya’s outdated regulatory framework, established by the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) in 1934. Waititu argued that the government should act as an overseer rather than a regulator, allowing professional bodies to manage their respective fields. He claimed the current approach threatens professional associations and undermines the progress of differentiated built environment professions.
IDAK President Prof. George Washington Karani highlighted the maturity of interior design as a profession, advocating for specialized regulation. He proposed profession-specific regulatory boards working alongside a broader built environment council for coordination and policy. Karani also dismissed claims regarding the lack of university-level training in interior design in Kenya.
The professionals expressed concerns about the role of Hon. Joseph K. Tonui, the sponsor of the Bill, and called for his resignation due to alleged conflicts of interest. They urged Parliament to reject the Bill in its current form, review previous research, conduct comprehensive stakeholder consultations, and initiate an inclusive legislative process for Kenya’s built environment professions.
Former ACMK President Nashon Okowa stressed the need for a long-term regulatory framework to address building collapses, project delays, and cost overruns. Okowa advocated for a member-driven regulatory system to enhance professional development and accountability, enabling local practitioners to compete effectively against foreign contractors and professionals.
The associations remain adamant that their stance is not a dispute between professions but a call for legislation that ensures public safety while recognizing the distinct responsibilities of each profession. They warned of potential legal action if the Bill is enacted in its current form and encouraged comprehensive consultations and legislative reforms.
Kenya’s Parliament has invited public and stakeholder submissions on the Bill, which aims to overhaul the existing legal framework governing architects and quantity surveyors while expanding regulation to other built environment professions.
