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.

The Construction Industry as "THE MASTER BUILDER"

“To form by assembling parts” is the dictionary definition of CONSTRUCT, but the phrase is a metaphor for the construction process itself. Construction is a Goal-driven process with diverse material and group of people having diverse interest but a common goal.
The diversity is good but present the greatest challenge in the industry.  More basic to our economy and daily life.

• Designers have visions; but until contractors build, those visions are just dreams on paper.

There exists synergy between construction and technological development.

• Example: skyscraper, invention of elevator.
• Innovation of robotics and computer modelling also affected industry …. With robots directing equipment during construction.

Look at any construction company, and you will find people from a variety of backgrounds.Financial institutions, medical services, accounting firms and real estate companies easily get involved in mergers, consolidations and conglomerations.Construction projects can be awe-inspiring in their breath and complexity, from Egyptian pyramids to soaring sky skyscrapers and enormous bridges. It is a service industry. So, its success or failure depends on qualities of its people rather than on its technology or product.

Construction sector does not require a patent or large capital investment. However, the risk factor is much higher in construction. Reasons:

• a) Government funding, demographic market trends, weather conditions, etc.
• b) Unpredictable nature of work itself.
• c) Any extremes can effect productivity level, damage materials.
• d) Custom oriented … .. use mass production is difficult
• e) Each project has its own learning curve

 The construction sector is a study of contrasts.

• At one time general contractors constructed entire projects with their own work force.
• As projects became more complex and sophisticated, the industry turned to speciality trades.
• However, in other aspects of industry, the reverse is happening. Technical complexities are merging owners, contractors and designers into more collaborative units

This trend is leading construction to its roots-AS THE MASTER BUILDER

THE HISTORY OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN KENYA

The Kenyan construction industry is one of the rapidly growing sectors of the economy today. Construction industry, however, is not a new venture. The industry has constantly evolved since the days of early man and the pre-civilization period.

History of construction Industry

People have built houses, and other structures since prehistoric era, including dams, roads, electricity pylons, canals and amphitheaters. The history of the present building materials is quite long and some of the structures built thousands of years back are still considered sound. Archaeological evidence and other related studies become useful in understanding when different structures were built and for which reason.
The purpose of constructing a particular structure remain the same. However, the materials, know -how and equipment use has evolved over the years.

Evolution of Construction Industry in Kenya

Sophisticated Structures: The construction industry in Kenya, like other parts of the world, has undergone considerable transformation from the early ages when our ancestors used to reside in caves to the present "sky scrapers". Roads have also evolved from the footpaths our ancestors followed in thickets to the present bitumen or concrete paved super-highways.
Materials: In the pre-colonial era, houses were basically built of rammed earth, twigs, cow dung, mud, and other un-processed materials which formed both the structural elements and the cover for walls. The roof systems would have twigs for structural purposes and all sorts of roof covers from grass thatch, makuti, reed thatch to mud and cowdung in Maasai manyatas.The modern day construction industry in Kenya, have made use of both un-processed building materials used in pre-colonial period and the processed construction materials like cement, timber, wood and plastic boards, iron sheets, bitumen etc.
Labour: In the pre-colonial era, construction was a communal work involving a group of young men and men. It was a voluntary work and no form of payment was levied for services provided. Whenever anyone wanted to build a house, he/she would employ the services of his/her friends, neighbors and  relatives in the village. The labor was basically unskilled, though some form of semi-skilled labor existed. Modernity has come at cost since now heavy fees are levied by construction professional.The construction industry today has different professionals having specialized skills.
Construction Machines and Equipment: Some of the precolonial construction tools have been rendered obsolete by technology. Hoes and shovels have been replaced by excavators and truck shovels respectively. The tools and equipment used today are more sophisticated and often use electricity and/or fuel to drive. Tools requiring manual power have been pushed to small works and works in constricted areas.