Head of Partnerships at the Association of Designers of Kenya and a founding member of Buy Africa, Build Africa, supported the proposed Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill, 2026 seeking to repeal and replace the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act, Cap. 525.
In the bill which is seeking to establish a comprehensive framework for the training, registration, enrolment, licensing and regulation of professionals in the built environment, however, their association called for amendments to make it more inclusive.
The proposed law, The Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 47 of 2026) seeks to extend the existing regulatory framework beyond architects and quantity surveyors to include landscape architects, interior designers, construction project managers and their respective technicians.
The National Assembly Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works Committee led by Buuri Member of Parliament Mugambi Rindikiri requested stakeholders to submit memorandum detailing specific clauses they would want to be included on the Architectural and Quantity Surveying Practitioners Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 47 of 2026) before the parliament which has seen majority of stakeholders rejecting demanding inclusion of all built environment parties
Built environment demands that all built environment players be including among them interior designers, construction managers, land scapers architect, technologists calling upon parliamentarians to ensure all professionals and active players be included, ‘the name itself is discriminatory,’.
Elisha said the Association of Designers of Kenya was advocating for the formal recognition of interior design as a profession, noting that interior designers contribute to spatial planning, safety, accessibility, functionality and human well-being, beyond the selection of colours and finishes.
She said Buy Africa, Build Africa was also pushing for the recognition, training and competence assessment of technicians and artisans, commonly referred to as “fundis”, who play a significant role in the construction process.
“Kenya needs stronger professional accountability across the entire construction value chain,” Elisha said, warning that inadequate training and weak supervision could compromise public safety.
She cited the recent collapse of a building during demolition in Nairobi’s Central Business District, which injured workers, as a reminder of the need for proper supervision, training and accountability across construction sites.
Elisha said architects and engineers prepare designs and provide professional oversight, but much of the day-to-day work is carried out by technicians and artisans.
“These are people working hard to earn their daily bread, and we must help them earn this daily bread safely, professionally and with dignity,” she said.
She proposed a three-part approach involving legislation, industry dialogue and implementation through practical skills training, recognition, mentorship and collaboration.
Elisha said the Bill should not focus only on architects and quantity surveyors but should also recognise interior designers and artisans as important contributors to the creation of safe buildings.
She urged developers, contractors and other stakeholders to support efforts to improve training and regulation in the sector, including site-based training for artisans who may lack access to formal education.
“We support this Bill, but with amendments that professionalise the sector and create an all-inclusive framework,” she said.
Cecilia Mbati, Chairperson of the Interior Design Society of Kenya, also called for amendments to protect professional competence without creating artificial boundaries between related professions.
Mbati said the legislation should address ethics and discipline, regulations, university programmes, accreditation, registration and competency requirements while ensuring that the proposed board did not make decisions that would undermine established education and professional pathways.
She proposed a regulatory structure with one overarching board and distinct professional chapters to represent the different disciplines within the built environment.
Mbati said interior design should be recognised as an established discipline, with graduates holding accredited degrees provided with a direct statutory pathway to professional registration.
She called for the title of interior designers to be expressly recognised and protected in the Bill, and for interior design education to be assessed by persons with relevant academic and professional expertise.
She further urged Parliament to provide meaningful representation for construction managers and other professions on the proposed board and establish clear pathways from accredited education to professional registration.
Mbati said the proposed legislation presented an opportunity to strengthen professional regulation while recognising the evolution of Kenya’s built environment professions and the academic disciplines supporting them.
She urged Parliament to ensure that the common regulatory framework recognised the professions as distinct but collaborative disciplines, preserved the integrity of university programmes and provided equitable professional governance.
The alliance’s submission adds to the considerations facing the parliamentary committee as it examines proposed reforms to the regulation of Kenya’s built environment professions.