Sustainable Construction Materials Under the Kenya Building Regulations 2024:

A Critical Review

Abstract

The construction sector is vital to Kenya’s economy but contributes to environmental degradation through resource-intensive conventional materials. With rapid urbanization intensifying demand, sustainable materials such as bamboo, compressed earth blocks and recycled composites offer pathways to reduce emissions and resource use. The Kenya Building Regulations 2024 (KBR 2024) mark a shift towards performance-based standards and sustainability. This study critically evaluates KBR 2024’s capacity to foster sustainable material adoption through policy analysis and comparative case studies involving South Africa, India and Rwanda. Results reveal that KBR 2024 enables innovation through alternative material approval pathways and acknowledges local materials. However, gaps persist in sustainability criteria, standards for indigenous materials, county-level testing and enforcement capacity, and incentives for sustainable materials. The study concludes that KBR 2024 is progressive but requires further refinement. It recommends developing standards for local materials, integrating measurable environmental performance criteria, decentralizing testing capacity and establishing incentives for sustainable material adoption.