Built Environment Professionals Reject Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026

 

James Mutua 

Three built environment professional associations have rejected the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026, saying the proposed law could undermine professional autonomy and public protection.

Speaking to the press on Monday, the Interior Designers Association of Kenya (IDAK), Association of Construction Managers of Kenya (ACMK) and The Architects Alliance said they are not opposed to regulation but want a framework that recognises the distinct roles and competencies of different built environment professions.

The organisations said the Bill seeks to regulate architects, quantity surveyors, interior designers, landscape architects, construction project managers and technicians under a single Board despite the professions having different bodies of knowledge, education systems, competencies, scopes of practice and professional responsibilities.

“Our concern is simple: one profession should not effectively regulate another profession,” the associations said in a joint statement.

They argued that having a single representative for a profession on a broad regulatory Board does not amount to meaningful professional self-regulation.

The associations also raised concerns over provisions relating to professional scopes of practice, fees, education standards, examinations, licensing and disciplinary processes.

They warned that leaving such matters to a regulatory structure that may not adequately reflect the specialist requirements of each profession could result in professional conflicts, duplication, uncertainty and weakened public protection.

The groups called for previous research on the regulation of built environment professions to be reviewed before Parliament proceeds with the Bill.

They cited work undertaken through the Coalition of Built Environment Professionals, including research associated with Professor Alfred Omenya, as well as earlier proposals on the regulation of built environment professions.

The associations are calling on the National Assembly to suspend consideration of the Bill in its current form and undertake a comprehensive stakeholder review.

They also want Parliament to define clear scopes of practice and professional responsibilities and develop a comprehensive Built Environment Professions framework with strong, profession-specific regulatory structures.

The groups further called for the immediate resignation of the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works, Hon. Joseph K. Tanui, who they said is also the sponsor of the Bill, citing an alleged conflict of interest.

The associations emphasised that their opposition was not intended to create divisions among professionals.

“This is not a fight between professions. It is about getting regulation right,” they said.

They argued that Kenya needs coordinated regulation, professional autonomy, clear accountability and public protection rather than a regulatory hierarchy among built environment professions.

The organisations urged Parliament to reject the Bill in its current form, refer the proposed reforms for comprehensive stakeholder review, formally consider previous research and policy proposals, and initiate an inclusive process towards comprehensive legislation governing and coordinating Kenya’s built environment professions.

“Let us not legislate for yesterday’s construction industry. Let us legislate for the Kenya we are building tomorrow,” the associations said.