![[Kenya] National Construction Week to support govt's big four agenda](Images/2018/nca.jpg)
[Kenya] National Construction Week to support govt's big four agenda
Kenya’s second National Construction Week, at Kenyatta International Convention Centre from 7-9 November 2018, is set to enhance contribution of the construction industry towards the Big Four Agenda.
Speaking at a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi, representatives of the National Construction Authority (NCA), the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, and dmg events presented the National Construction Week to media and highlighted how it will support the government’s ambition to enrich the local economy.
The week will incorporate the International Construction Research Conference and Exhibition (ICoRCE) the official conference organised by NCA, and The Big 5 Construct East Africa 2018, official exhibition of the week organised by dmg events.
Charles Hinga Mwaura, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Housing and Urban Development was represented at the event by Arch. Mackenzie Kiilu. Arch Kiilu provided insight towards government targets:
“The government’s focus right now is uplifting the economic status of all Kenyans, and we are doing so by first providing affordable housing for all. In order to do so, we must incorporate technology and provide innovative solutions in order to save on cost but maximize on quality of buildings.”
He added, “This is the reason why events such as the National Construction Week are critical, as we must create platforms to continuously engage and seek creative solutions to our affordable housing gaps.”
ICoRCE was also being introduced for the first time, having been previously known as the Annual Construction Research Conference and Exhibition. NCA’s Acting Executive Director Eng. Maurice Akech expounded on the change of name.
“ICoRCE represents a global outlook for NCA. The event will now be taking place biennially, and aims at operationalizing all research papers which will be presented in order to actively seek viable solutions to industry gaps. We are already the biggest construction research event in the region, and we aim to grow exponentially so as to be recognized on a global scale.”
To support the conference, additional events included in the National Construction Week include the Construction Industry Business Forum which will feature pre-scheduled business networking meetings with local and international participants and the Kenya Government Pavillion which will give visitors a on-stop shop area where they can interact with the key government agencies involved in the construction industry value chain.
NCA’s Acting General Manager for Construction Research and Business Development Qs. David Mathu announced the theme of this year’s conference:
“This year, we are exploring how we can build a strong legal framework that will harness the potential of the construction industry for inclusive and sustainable growth.”
Looking forward to the event he added, “We are excited to provide an international platform for collation and dissemination of research information, a platform to showcase innovations and to facilitate business to business (B2B) meetings amongst local, international participants and exhibitors.”
A key meeting point and critical research platform, ICoRCE assists the NCA in the formulation of industry policies, making Kenya a model construction business hub in the region and beyond.
The Big 5 Construct East Africa 2018 will bring over 200 exhibitors from more than 20 countries including Qatar, Germany, Turkey, France, Italy, China and Greece to support the affordable housing agenda in Kenya. Portfolio Director for the event, Muhammed Kazi said:
“We are delighted to once again be the official exhibition at Kenya’s National Construction Week, and to bring to the local market products designed to ensure both efficiency and quality in the built environment.”
“The event will cater for everyone in the construction industry including contractors, engineers, architects and more. Furthermore, it serves a perform platform for local Kenyan distributors from the building & construction industry to meet international brands and discuss partnerships and distributorship, which eventually benefits the local economy,” he concluded.
The offer of CPD (continuing professional development) workshops at the Big 5 Construct East Africa 2018 is expected to be more than double that of 2016. To 40+ sessions will focus on Technology & Design in Building Construction, Project Management and Engineering, Sustainability in Construction and New Feature: Women in Construction.
National Construction Week will also provide a dedicated platform for knowledge and business ideas exchange at ICoRCE – the leading conference set to nurture and enhance accelerated growth of the construction industry in Kenya.
At its launch edition in Kenya in 2016, ICoRCE attracted 1000+ delegates for the conference from 20 visiting countries. At the same time The Big 5 Construct East Africa 2016 welcomed over 7,000 participants and hosted more than 150 exhibitors from 20 countries.
The National Construction Week organised by the NCA and dmg events and is backed by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing & Urban Development. The event also enjoys the support of the Engineers Board of Kenya, the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Green Building Society,Kenya Property Developers Association and many more.
