Construction Industry Sectors in Kenya

Since most owners are generally interested in acquiring only a specific type of constructed facility, they should be aware of the common industrial practices for the type of construction pertinent to them. Likewise, the construction industry is a conglomeration of quite diverse segments and products. Some owners may procure a constructed facility only once in a long while and tend to look for short term advantages.

Many owners require periodic acquisition of new facilities and/or rehabilitation of existing facilities. It is to their advantage to keep the construction industry healthy and productive.

• Collectively, the owners have more power to influence the construction industry than they realize because, by their individual actions, they can provide incentives or disincentives for innovation, efficiency and quality in construction.
• It is to the interest of all parties that the owners take an active interest in the construction and exercise beneficial influence on the performance of the industry.
• In planning for various types of construction, the methods of procuring professional services, awarding construction contracts, and financing the constructed facility can be quite different.

Sectors of The Construction Industry in Kenya

For the purpose of this article, the broad spectrum of constructed facilities may be classified into four major categories, each with its own characteristics.

1. Residential construction
2. Building construction
3. Infrastructure and heavy construction
4. Industrial construction

Residential Construction

• Residential housing construction includes single-family houses, multi-family dwellings, and high-rise flats and

apartments.

• During the development and construction of such projects, the developers or sponsors who are familiar with the construction industry usually serve as surrogate owners and take charge, making necessary contractual agreements for design and construction, and arranging the financing and sale of the completed structures.

• Residential housing designs are usually performed by architects and engineers, and the construction executed by builders who hire subcontractors for the structural, mechanical, electrical and other specialty work.

Building Construction

• Institutional and commercial building construction encompasses a great variety of project types and sizes, such as schools and universities, hospitals, recreational facilities and sports stadiums, retail chain stores and large shopping centres, warehouses and light manufacturing plants, and skyscrapers for offices and hotels.

KICC courtesy of world66.com

• The owners of such buildings may or may not be familiar with construction industry practices, but they usually are able to select competent professional consultants and arrange the financing of the constructed facilities themselves.

• Specialty architects and engineers are often engaged for designing a specific type of building, while the builders or general contractors undertaking such projects may also be specialized in only that type of building.

Infrastructure & Heavy Construction

• This includes projects such as highways, mass transit systems, tunnels, bridges, pipelines, drainage systems and sewage treatment plants.

• Most of these projects are publicly owned and therefore financed either through bonds or taxes.

• This category of construction is characterized by a high degree of mechanization, which has gradually replaced some labour intensive operations.

Thika superHighway

Industrial Construction

• Specialized industrial construction usually involves very large scale projects with a high degree of technological complexity, such as oil refineries, steel mills, chemical processing plants and nuclear power plants.

• The owners usually are deeply involved in the development of the project, and prefer to work with designers-builders such that the total time for the completion of the project can be shortened.