Cape Media Limited CEO Mwenda Njoka is set to address land and built environment professionals in Mombasa tomorrow (Thursday, May 14) amid what Institute of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) President Surveyor Eric Nyadimo described as a growing crisis in the quality of training within the sector.
Speaking during the ongoing two-day ISK conference in Mombasa, Nyadimo faulted the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), saying the mushrooming of polytechnics across the country is compromising professional standards in the land and built environment sector.
Nyadimo claimed that some institutions are offering specialised programmes without qualified trainers, warning that the trend is exposing the profession to serious risks and lowering the credibility of industry training.
According to Nyadimo, many parents are spending huge amounts of money educating their children in courses that later fail to meet professional registration requirements due to weak accreditation and oversight systems.
Nyadimo further challenged universities to push for amendments to the Commission for University Education Act to allow professional bodies to participate in the accreditation of specialised professional courses.
The ISK president also called for increased funding to regulators, arguing that underfunding has contributed to the growing number of quacks infiltrating the land and built environment sector.
At the same time, Nyadimo criticised the Ministry of Lands over the continued use of ammonia paper in printing maps, saying the material is outdated, unhealthy to the public and no longer widely used globally.
“The government must adequately resource the Ministry of Lands to shift to blue or white paper,” said Nyadimo.
On the ongoing demolition of buildings across the country, Nyadimo questioned why authorities approve developments only for the same structures to later be brought down, warning that the trend is wasting public resources and damaging investor confidence.
Nyadimo maintained that despite heavy public funding towards approval and compliance institutions, continued demolitions point to major failures within the regulatory system.
The conference is expected to conclude tomorrow, with stakeholders set to continue deliberations on reforms aimed at restoring professionalism and confidence in Kenya’s land sector.
