Professionals want Architectural and Quantity Surveyors' Practitioners Bill paused

A coalition of professionals has issued a joint call to the government to immediately pause progress on the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026, citing a lack of meaningful public participation and the exclusion of key industry stakeholders.
Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, representatives from professional bodies—including the Architects Alliance, the Institute of Engineers of Kenya, the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya, and the Law Society of Kenya—objected to the secretive manner in which the proposed legislation was drafted.
The alliance argued that government agencies engaged in selective consultations with a small group of supportive stakeholders while excluding broader professional organizations that represent thousands of industry practitioners.
They argued that this endorsement-seeking process violates Articles 10 and 118 of the Constitution of Kenya, which mandate inclusive public participation in legislative processes.
"We are not opposed to reform. What we cannot accept is legislation of this magnitude being shaped behind closed doors, by a select few, on behalf of the many," they said in a joint statement.
The organizations raised concerns over fragmented regulation, warning that isolating architecture and quantity surveying from interconnected fields such as engineering, construction management, interior design, and town planning risks creating regulatory overlaps and operational conflicts. Because the legislation governs building safety, design, and costing, the professionals emphasized that the draft requires wide public scrutiny to safeguard the public interest.
The group also highlighted the total exclusion of young professionals, graduates, and students from the drafting process.
They argued that early-career practitioners will be most impacted by the proposed rules regarding internships, licensing, registration fees, and professional entry requirements, yet their inputs were disregarded.
To resolve the impasse, the coalition demanded an immediate halt to the legislative process and called for an all-inclusive stakeholder forum. They requested that the government publish a transparent consultation framework, provide a full draft of the bill alongside public submissions, and formally include young practitioners and academia in subsequent discussions.
The coalition affirmed its readiness to collaborate with the government to build a unified, harmonized regulatory framework for Kenya's built environment sector.