Contractors in Kisumu have been warned against undertaking the construction of buildings or structure that have not been approved by the county government or any other relevant body like the National Construction Authority.
The county Chief Officer in-charge of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning Mr Derrick Obura warned of dire consequences against anyone who will go against the directive saying it may amount to a jail sentence or the confiscation of the operating license.
According to Mr Obura, the county government is doing this in a bid to cushion residents against any eventuality that may occur, citing an example of a collapsed building in Huruma Nairobi that left at least 20 people dead.
Mr Obura said: "We as a county government do not want to experience any unfortunate event like the one in Nairobi of a collapsed building. As a result, we want to take radical measures to ensure such an occurrence cannot take place here. We therefore warn any contractor against undertaking any construction works if a building isn’t approved by the relevant government agencies."
The county housing and infrastructure chief further reiterated the commitment that the Ranguma-led government has in promoting good housing and urban planning in Kenya’s third largest city.