The new National Building Code 2024, which came into force beginning this month, has placed Kenya highly on the global map as one of the countries with the most effective tools for curbing emissions in the sector. 

Kenya has been listed among European giants, Germany and Iceland, which also recently updated their building codes to factor in the adoption of renewable integration, life cycle assessments and energy-efficient design for buildings.  

Previously, Kenya’s construction sector had been regulated by a half-a-century-old set of codes that were drafted in 1968, five years after attaining independence. 

This post-independence codes had never been revised to cater for emerging issues including adopting any known international building standards, modern building technologies or recognising the need for an independent regulatory authority to enforce the code. 

Strategic framework  

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome together with the National Construction Authority (NCA) Board developed the National Building Code 2024, which was later published as Legal Notice No. 47 on March 1, 2024- repealing the Local Government (Adoptive By-Laws) (Building) Order 1968. 

“Kenya is advancing its sustainable development agenda using its New National Building Code, 2024, which came into effect on March 1, 2025 and sets forth energy performance standards aimed at improving resource efficiencies and sustainability,” the CS is quoted in the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/2025, released recently by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

The report emphasises that national policies play a pivotal role in advancing the decarbonisation and sustainability of the buildings and construction sector and provide the strategic framework necessary to align long-term goals, incentivise innovation, and foster sustainable practices. 

However, UNEP reported that as of early this year, the buildings and construction sector, which includes the embodied carbon of construction materials, continues to grapple with its significant contribution to global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. 

In 2023, emissions from the construction sector stood at 34 per cent, while energy consumption accounted for around 34 per cent of global demand. 

“Despite modest advancements, the sector is not yet on track to align with net zero carbon and climate resilience targets by 2050, as progress remains slow and fragmented. Carbon dioxide emissions from the sector have risen by five per cent since 2015, far from meeting the 28 per cent reduction required by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement,” UNEP observed. 

The global environmental agency took note of innovative national policies from countries like Germany, South Africa and Rwanda that demonstrate the effectiveness of combining mandatory performance standards, economic incentives and financial mechanisms to support green construction.  

“Germany’s Federal Climate Change Act sets ambitious emission-reduction targets and provides subsidies for energy-efficient retrofits, while Rwanda’s cooling strategies and renewable energy incentives showcase the transformative potential of regulatory and market-based approaches,” UNEP noted. 

For the construction sector to attain net zero emission targets by the middle of this century, UNEP emphasised that building policies must be linked with broader climate goals, like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) among countries. 

Green building 

Among the notable progress made in the construction sector in 2024 was the increase in the adoption of renewable energy and electrification, especially for heating and cooling systems. 

Additionally, green building certifications grew significantly, with 20 per cent of new commercial buildings in OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries of North America, South America, Europe and South Asia achieving certification in 2023, up from 15 per cent in 2020. 

UNEP proposed adopting circular construction practices by countries to significantly reduce waste, conserve resources and mitigate climate and environmental impacts on a global scale. 

“Circular construction practices—such as material reuse and modular building—are also gaining ground, with recycled materials accounting for 18 per cent of construction inputs in Europe,” the report says. 

Among the challenges crippling the building sector is embodied carbon from materials like steel and cement, contributing 18 per cent of global building-related carbon dioxide emissions. 

The global body underscored the urgent need to harmonise building codes, scale low-carbon materials, increase equitable access to green financing and incentivise circular construction. 

Globally, it is estimated that the building sector generates two billion tonnes of construction and demolition waste annually, accounting for approximately one-third of all global waste. 

The report comes a week after the Cabinet passed a resolution for the nationwide removal of asbestos from public and private houses for posing a health hazard to the public. 

The cabinet directed the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to oversee the process and ensure safe handling, disposal, and compliance with environmental regulations.  

Used as roofing material, asbestos was introduced in Kenya’s construction sector in the 1960s and 1970s and has been prominent on many public buildings, government hospitals and public schools. By Samuel Kariuki, People Daily

The Somali government announced that an explosion Tuesday in Mogadishu was an attempt on the president’s life by al-Shabaab terrorists.

The Information Ministry said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy was attacked at approximately 10.32 a.m. (0732 GMT) in the Xamar-Jajab district in Mogadishu.

It said Mohamud’s was en route to the Mogadishu International Airport to join troops on the frontlines in Hirshabelle state.

“The attack was thwarted, and the President safely arrived at his destination as planned,” it said.

It ministry added that the “cowardly act which resulted in the death and injury of innocent civilians” is a testament to the group’s growing desperation as “they suffer continuous defeats at the hands of the Somali National Army.”

Security forces launched an investigation into the attack that took place near a heavily fortified area of the capital.

“With the unity of our people and the support of our international partners, we will secure lasting peace and stability for Somalia,” it said.

Hussien Sheikh Ali, the president’s national security adviser, said earlier that the president is safe and is on the frontline towns.

“This nation cannot be intimidated by hypocrisy and exaggerated lies,” he wrote on X after the attack.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it attacked the president’s convoy that was headed to the airport. By Mohamed Dhaysane, Anadolu Agency

The town of Nasir in Upper Nile State has been hit by a fresh wave of airstrikes as the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) launched another attack on the area this morning. The escalation comes amid rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.

This marks the second such incident in recent weeks. On 17 March, at least 21 civilians, including women and children, were killed in an aerial bombardment in Nasir.

Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan, with its military chief announcing last week that troops were sent to “secure” Juba, the capital of its northern neighbour. The UPDF has faced accusations of conducting airstrikes in support of the SSPDF.

Recently, South Sudan’s Defence Minister vowed to retake Nasir after SSPDF forces were dislodged and the military base there was overrun by the White Army on 4 March. The White Army, a loosely organised militia linked to First Vice President Riek Machar, seized the town following hours of clashes with the SSPDF.

Nasir County Commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that a military warplane dropped multiple bombs targeting Nasir town at around 3:30 AM on Wednesday.

The commissioner accused the military and its Ugandan counterpart of using chemical weapons in the airstrike.

“The bombs fell in Nasir town. The attacks resulted in the wounding of two people, a mother and her two-year-old child. They are in critical condition, and we are considering referring them for further management. The child is in critical condition; we don’t even expect that the child will survive,” he said.

According to the commissioner, the wounded mother is expected to respond to treatment as her condition is less severe.

He also noted that the Nasir market was burned down after one of the explosive barrels fell directly on it, destroying several shops, particularly tea-selling stalls, in the first round of attacks.

“Four bombs targeted my compound as commissioner. That was the second round, and this is where four barrels fell in my compound. This is where the mother and child were hurt,” he said.

“The market has been burned down, and I went there to confirm it myself. I don’t know how many shops, but most of them have been destroyed,” he added.

Edmund Yakani, a South Sudanese civil society activist, called on the country’s leadership to immediately halt what he described as “inhuman and degrading acts of victimizing” the civilian population in Nasir County.

“I call upon His Excellency the President to stop the continuous airstrikes on Nasir and other locations. If the violence continues for one more week, the chances of it turning into a full-scale war and proxy war involving multiple foreign actors will increase. This will make the country suffer more and for longer,” he said.

Yakani added that President Kiir and First Vice President Machar bear the primary responsibility to stop the violence immediately and should both be held accountable for the ongoing conflict.

He urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) to intervene by sending high-level delegations to South Sudan to meet with the leaders before the civilian population pays an even more painful price.

“While Uganda is one of the IGAD peace guarantors, it is effectively engaged with its forces in violating the spirit of the peace process. Uganda’s president should help prevent South Sudan from sliding into war. Meanwhile, the White Army is being used for proxy warfare in the country. All these human rights violations must stop now,” he concluded.

 Source Radio Tamazuj   /   Photo Courtesy