The National Planning & Development Management System (NPDMS), introduced to digitize and streamline building approvals in Nairobi, is facing growing criticism from the engineering community, which cites rampant inefficiencies and worsening corruption in the development process.
- •According to the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), the NPDMS has been plagued by frequent technical failures, delayed payment confirmations, poor integration with other government departments, and missing feedback channels.
- •Instead of expediting approvals, the system’s shortcomings have contributed to long delays, forcing applicants of building approvals to dish out bribes.
- •The IEK, representing over 17,000 engineers responsible for designing and overseeing urban development, warned that the breakdown in the approval system risks undermining Nairobi’s construction safety standards and delaying key projects.
“At this point our clients think Engineers are incompetent and the credibility dent is a career threat to our members. Of course, the corrupt system is designed to manufacture desperation inducing the need to bribe to get the approvals and save face. This not only negates the purpose of digitization but also fuels gatekeeping and rewards rent-seeking,” the President of IEK, Shammah Kiteme said.
The institution lamented widespread frustrations among members who face mounting obstacles in fulfilling their mandates, with the slow approvals eroding confidence in the county’s ability to manage growth responsibly.
Further complicating the situation are reports of manual interventions even after digital submissions, which engineers argue defeats the system’s purpose and fosters gatekeeping. The failure to integrate key agencies, including utilities and surveying departments, has deepened inefficiencies and fuelled a culture of favouritism.
In response to the growing crisis, the IEK has called on Nairobi City County, the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, and national investigative bodies to initiate urgent probes and enforce reforms. Without swift action, engineers warn, Nairobi’s aspirations of an orderly and safe urban expansion could be at risk.
The Value of Building Plans Approved by Nairobi City County shows a fluctuating trend in early 2025, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). In February 2025, the actual value of approved building plans reached Ksh 15.8 billion, with the residential sector accounting for Ksh 12.5 billion and the non-residential sector at Ksh 3.4 billion. This figure was lower than in December last year when the figure stood at KSh 24.1 billion.