The government of Kenya has announced plans to leverage building technology in bid to bridge housing. Gordon Kihalangwa, principal secretary, State Department of Public Works made the announcement and said that the building sector must be able to advance with changing technology because of its numerous advantages.
“We want to emulate the advanced countries that have solved their accommodation issues through the use of new technology which is more affordable. Use of technology such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels is just as good as constructing with brick and mortar and ensures that projects are completed in less time,” said Mr. Kihalangwa.
Building and construction industry
According to the government data, the east African nation has a housing deficit of approximately two million units while more than half of urban residents live in informal slums. Mr Gordon observed that building technology is more energy efficient and hence has less negative impact on the environment.
โThe building and construction industry occupies a central place in the economy of Kenya because of its importance as a producer of capital goods and employment. There are there are a number of companies that are locally manufacturing EPS panels and this will provide a reliable supply of material for the building sector. We would like our local contractors to embrace alternative building technology because that is where the world is going. The government will endeavor to train local contractors to be able to use alternative building materials to ensure that housing quality is improved,” Kihalangwa said.
