Cabinet Approves Architectural Practitioners Bill With Up to KSh2 Million Fine

The Cabinet has approved the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026, which proposes fines of up to KSh2 million and imprisonment of up to two years for anyone obtaining registration or licences through fraudulent means.

The Bill also sets a separate penalty of up to KSh3 million for practising without a valid licence and would replace the existing legislation that dates back to 1934, which currently caps fines at KSh5,000 for offences such as unlawful use of the protected titles of architect or quantity surveyor.

Under the proposal, architects, quantity surveyors, landscape architects, interior designers and construction project managers would be required to hold mandatory annual practising licences, and a new regulatory board would be given expanded powers to inspect construction sites and enforce compliance.

The measures are presented as a response to recent building failures, including the January 2026 collapse of a multi-storey building in Nairobi’s South C estate that killed two people, and a subsequent collapse in Karen that also claimed two lives and injured seven workers.

Earlier, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya reported on January 9, 2026 that only 15 percent of about 15,000 inspected buildings in Nairobi were classified as safe, with roughly 8 percent in fair condition and the remainder deemed unsafe.

The Bill has drawn criticism from professional bodies; former Association of Construction Managers of Kenya president Nashon Okowa has argued that the legislation should provide a long-term framework for the sector rather than focus solely on the recent collapses.

The Cabinet statement read: “To strengthen building safety, Cabinet cleared the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026, proposing tougher action against unqualified practitioners and penalties of up to KSh2 million or two years in prison for false registration or licensing.”

The Bill now proceeds to Parliament, where lawmakers will debate its provisions before deciding whether to enact it into law.