A simmering crisis is unfolding within the National Construction Authority (NCA) as mounting complaints from contractors expose crippling delays in the renewal of operating certificates, delays now threatening to paralyse construction activity across the country.
At the centre of the growing storm is NCA Chief Executive Maurice Akech, whose leadership is increasingly being questioned by industry players who say the Authority has descended into administrative inertia, procedural opacity, and regulatory silence.
Contractors Grounded as Certificate Renewals Stall
According to multiple contractors interviewed, applications for renewal of NCA operating certificates have been left unattended for months, with no official communication, no timelines, and no explanation.
What was once a predictable—if bureaucratic—process has, they say, turned into an operational bottleneck that has frozen projects, delayed capital flows, and disrupted investor schedules.
Without valid certificates, contractors are unable to mobilize machinery, deploy skilled labour, or satisfy financiers and clients demanding regulatory compliance.
“The silence is total,” one contractor said. “No updates. No tracking. No service timelines. Just a backlog that keeps growing.”
Regulatory Opacity and Leadership Silence
Industry stakeholders describe a system marked by bureaucratic congestion and opaque procedures, where submitted applications vanish into internal workflows with no published benchmarks for processing.
There are no public-facing service-level targets, no renewal trackers, and no performance dashboards—leaving contractors in regulatory limbo, uncertain whether they are compliant or exposed to penalties.
The absence of communication from the NCA leadership has further inflamed tensions. Contractors say Eng. Akech has not issued circulars, briefings, or explanations, despite the backlog worsening and economic consequences escalating.
Digitization Promises vs Ground Reality
The delays have cast doubt on broader government reform pledges, particularly the push for public service digitization and procurement automation promised by mid-2025.
While national blueprints trumpet modernization, contractors argue that core regulatory agencies like the NCA remain trapped in legacy workflows, undermining the very reforms meant to unlock growth.
This disconnect, they warn, risks stalling strategic sectors that depend on regulatory efficiency to function.
Ripple Effects Across the Economy
The implications stretch far beyond paperwork.
Delays in certificate renewals are already:
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Freezing active construction sites
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Causing financiers to withhold disbursements
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Forcing investors to reschedule or abandon projects
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Disrupting supply chains and labour engagement
Industry analysts warn that prolonged regulatory paralysis could discourage investment, distort project timelines, and erode confidence in public-private sector collaboration.
Calls for Accountability and Possible Leadership Review
With frustration mounting, contractors are now openly calling for:
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Definitive service-level timelines for certificate renewals
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Public renewal trackers or dashboards
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Transparent communication on application status
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Administrative audits of NCA internal systems
A growing section of the sector believes that leadership restructuring may be unavoidable if measurable reforms are not implemented urgently.
“This is no longer an inconvenience,” one industry player warned. “It is a failure of service delivery.”
National Development Goals at Risk
At stake is the functional rhythm of a sector central to employment, infrastructure delivery, and economic growth.
The construction industry underpins flagship national agendas such as Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Contractors argue that these ambitions cannot be realized while regulatory authorities tasked with oversight become obstacles instead of enablers.
Unless the existing backlog is cleared swiftly—and contractors are given clear, actionable feedback—the current dissatisfaction risks evolving into broader disaffection with state institutions charged with facilitating development.
A Test for Regulatory Credibility
Industry voices insist the solution is not political drama, but competent administration.
“The economy cannot move if its builders are grounded,” one contractor said. “Certificates are not a favour. They are a statutory obligation.”
What remains is for oversight authorities to intervene, delivery standards to be formalized, and—if necessary—leadership decisions to be made to ensure the NCA does not become a stumbling block to national progress.