Kenya’s apartment construction sector has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, particularly in Nairobi’s middle and upper-income neighbourhoods. With that expansion has come significant variation in construction quality. At one end of the spectrum are well-engineered, properly supervised developments that deliver durable, well-finished units. At the other end are projects where cost-cutting at every stage — from structural design to the final coat of paint — has produced buildings that look presentable at the point of sale but begin revealing their deficiencies within months of occupation.
The challenge for buyers is that poor construction is deliberately difficult to see at the viewing stage. Developers and sellers know which problems are cosmetically disguised and which are visible only to a trained eye. A fresh coat of paint covers a multitude of structural sins. Glossy marketing brochures and well-staged show units do not reflect what the actual units look like once you move in and the construction faults begin to manifest.
According to the National Construction Authority (NCA), which regulates the construction industry in Kenya under the National Construction Authority Act 2011, building quality complaints and structural defect reports from residential apartment buyers are among the most consistent categories of complaint received by the Authority. The NCA’s Annual Reports have repeatedly highlighted inadequate supervision, use of substandard materials, and non-compliance with structural designs as key drivers of defective construction in Kenya’s residential sector.
This guide equips you with the knowledge to recognise the most common signs of poor construction in apartments before you commit to a purchase. It works directly alongside our article on what to look for when viewing an apartment before buying and forms part of the broader evaluation framework covered in our complete guide to buying property in Kenya.
Why Poor Construction Is So Prevalent in Kenya
Understanding why poor construction happens helps you recognise where to look for it. Several structural factors in Kenya’s construction industry create conditions where quality shortcuts are common.
The first is cost pressure. Kenya’s urban property market is competitive, and developers face pressure to deliver units at price points that attract buyers while maintaining margins. The easiest place to cut costs without immediately visible consequences is in the structural and mechanical elements of construction — the reinforcement bars inside the concrete, the thickness of the slabs, the quality of the plumbing fittings, and the grade of the electrical cable. These are all elements a buyer cannot see without specialist equipment.
The second is inadequate supervision. The Physical and Land Use Planning Act 2019 requires that construction projects in Kenya be supervised by registered professionals — architects, structural engineers, and quantity surveyors. In practice, according to the Architectural Association of Kenya, many residential projects in Kenya are built without consistent professional supervision, with contractors making material and construction decisions without reference to the approved design. The AAK has documented cases where critical structural elements deviated from the approved structural drawings without the knowledge of the project architect.
The third is the use of unregistered contractors. The NCA maintains a register of contractors eligible to undertake construction work in Kenya. According to the NCA’s 2022 Annual Report, a significant proportion of residential construction in Kenya, particularly in the middle and lower-income segments, is carried out by unregistered contractors who are not subject to the NCA’s professional standards and oversight framework.
The fourth is inadequate testing of materials. Concrete used in construction should be tested at the batching stage and again after curing to confirm it meets the design strength. In Kenya, this testing is frequently skipped to save time and money, meaning concrete of substandard strength is placed in structural elements where higher-grade concrete was specified.
Structural Warning Signs
Cracks in Columns and Beams
Columns and beams are the load-bearing skeleton of a reinforced concrete apartment building. Cracks in these elements are among the most serious defects a buyer can encounter.
Diagonal cracks in reinforced concrete columns, particularly those running at approximately 45 degrees across the face of the column, indicate shear stress failure in the concrete. According to structural engineering guidance published by the Kenya Chapter of the Institution of Structural Engineers, diagonal shear cracks in columns typically arise from insufficient shear reinforcement in the column design or from concrete that did not achieve its specified compressive strength after curing.
Horizontal cracks running around the perimeter of a column at a consistent height above the floor slab can indicate that the column was cast in multiple pours without proper construction joint preparation, creating a plane of weakness at the joint level.
Cracks in beams, particularly those running vertically at the midspan of a beam between two supports, indicate tensile failure in the lower zone of the beam, which suggests inadequate tension reinforcement. This is a structural deficiency that worsens under load over time.
If you observe cracks in any structural element of the building — a column, beam, or load-bearing wall — do not proceed with the purchase until a structural engineer registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya has assessed the crack and provided a written opinion on its significance and recommended remediation.
Uneven or Deflected Slabs
The floor slabs in a reinforced concrete building should be flat and level. Visible deflection — a downward bow or sag in the centre of a slab span — indicates that the slab is carrying more load than its design allows, that the reinforcement was insufficient, or that the concrete did not achieve its specified strength.
Slab deflection is most visible in rooms with long spans and where the soffit of the slab is exposed, such as in ground floor car parks or in rooms where the ceiling has not been plastered to conceal the slab surface. Buyers should look upward in any ground-floor covered parking area and check for visible sag or cracking in the slab above.
Significant slab deflection is a structural deficiency that requires specialist investigation and may require strengthening. It is not a cosmetic issue and cannot be remedied by surface treatment.
Honeycombing in Concrete
Honeycombing refers to voids or porous patches in concrete surfaces, caused when the concrete mix does not fully consolidate around the reinforcement during casting. It is visible as rough, gravelly patches in the surface of a concrete element where the cement paste has not bonded properly.
Minor surface honeycombing in non-structural elements is a cosmetic issue. Honeycombing in structural elements, particularly in columns and beams, is a serious defect because it means the reinforcement steel in those areas is not properly encased in concrete, exposing it to moisture and accelerating corrosion.
In Kenya’s coastal areas and in Nairobi’s higher-altitude zones where rainfall is significant, exposed reinforcement steel corrodes faster than in drier climates. Corrosion causes the steel to expand, splitting the surrounding concrete in a process called spalling, which progressively weakens the structural element. According to research published by the University of Nairobi’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, corrosion-induced spalling is one of the most common and costly structural failures observed in residential buildings in Nairobi’s older stock.
Out-of-Plumb Walls and Columns
Walls and columns in a properly constructed building should be vertical — what builders call plumb. A wall or column that leans noticeably from vertical was either constructed without adequate setting-out, or has moved after construction due to inadequate foundation design or ground settlement.
You can check for plumb informally using a spirit level or a weighted string line held against the face of the wall. A deviation of more than 10 millimetres over 3 metres is outside normal construction tolerances according to the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ building construction standards, and significant leaning is a defect that warrants structural investigation.
Foundation and Settlement Signs
Differential Settlement Cracking
When different parts of a building settle at different rates — because the ground below has variable bearing capacity or because the foundation design was not appropriate for the site conditions — the resulting differential settlement causes cracking that follows a distinctive pattern.
Settlement cracks typically appear as diagonal cracks running from the corners of door and window openings, widening toward the top or bottom depending on which part of the building is settling faster. They may also appear as stair-step cracks running along the mortar joints in a block or brick wall, following the weakest plane in the masonry.
Settlement cracking is distinguished from minor shrinkage cracking by its width, its extent, and the fact that it typically progresses over time. A crack that is wider at one end than the other, or that has clearly grown since a previous observer noted it, is actively progressing and requires urgent structural investigation.
According to the Kenya Geotechnical Society, poor geotechnical investigation before construction is a common precursor to settlement problems in Nairobi buildings. Many developers skip or minimise the geotechnical investigation — the borehole drilling and soil testing that determines the appropriate foundation type — to save money at the design stage, resulting in foundations that are inadequate for the actual ground conditions at the site.
Sticking Doors and Windows
As noted in our guide on what to look for when viewing an apartment, doors and windows that stick or do not close properly can indicate structural movement in the building. This is particularly significant when the sticking is not confined to one door or window but affects multiple openings throughout the apartment or the building, suggesting that the overall structural frame has distorted.
A building that is still settling or moving will continue to create problems with door and window operation over time, as the frame distortion worsens with ongoing movement.
Waterproofing and Moisture Failures
Roof and Parapet Failures
Water ingress through the roof is one of the most common and damaging construction defects in Kenyan apartment buildings. The combination of intense rainfall during the long and short rains seasons, flat or low-pitched roof designs that are common in Nairobi’s apartment buildings, and inadequate waterproofing membranes creates conditions where roof leaks are endemic in poorly constructed buildings.
Signs of roof waterproofing failure visible from inside an apartment include water staining on the ceiling of the top-floor units, efflorescence deposits on internal walls adjacent to the parapet, and active water entry through electrical fittings or ceiling rose installations during or after rain.
Ask to inspect the top floor units, the roof terrace if accessible, and the ceiling condition in any common areas on the top floor. A roof that has already failed is a major remediation cost that will fall on all unit owners through the service charge.
Bathroom and Kitchen Waterproofing
The waterproofing of wet areas — bathrooms, toilets, and kitchen floors — is a critical but frequently inadequately executed element of apartment construction in Kenya. When the waterproofing membrane under the tile screed in a bathroom is absent, incorrectly applied, or damaged, water that penetrates through the grout joints and tile surface migrates into the structural slab below.
The consequences include dampness and staining on the ceiling of the unit below, structural degradation of the slab, and eventually corrosion of the reinforcement steel. This type of failure is particularly common in apartments built between 2005 and 2015, a period of rapid construction in Nairobi when supply chain constraints on quality waterproofing materials were documented by the Kenya Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors.
Signs of inadequate wet area waterproofing include damp patches or staining on the ceiling of the apartment directly below the bathroom you are inspecting, a musty smell in the bathroom of the lower unit, and tiles in the wet areas that sound hollow when tapped, indicating the adhesive bond to the waterproofing membrane has failed.
Window and Door Frame Leaks
In Kenya’s rainy seasons, windows that are inadequately sealed at the frame-to-wall junction admit water that runs down the internal wall surface and accumulates at the floor level. Over time this creates paint failure, plaster damage, and in severe cases mould growth on the internal wall surface.
Check the condition of the sealant bead around every window frame at its junction with the surrounding wall. In a well-constructed building, this sealant is applied in a continuous bead with no gaps, is still flexible and bonded to both surfaces, and has no visible cracking or shrinkage. Sealant that is cracked, peeling away from the wall, or absent entirely is an immediate source of water ingress risk.
Finishing Quality Indicators
While structural and waterproofing defects are the most consequential, finishing quality is the most immediately visible indicator of a developer’s overall approach to construction standards. A developer who cuts corners on finishes almost certainly cut corners elsewhere too.
Plasterwork
Run your hand across the plastered walls. Plaster should be smooth, flat, and consistent in texture. Wavy, bumpy, or uneven plasterwork indicates hasty application and inadequate supervision of the plastering trade. More significantly, plaster that has debonded from the wall behind it — detected by the hollow sound it makes when tapped firmly — is a defect that will eventually result in the plaster falling away from the wall, potentially taking surface finishes with it.
Tiling
Inspect the tile layout and grout joints throughout the apartment. Tiles should be laid in straight, consistent lines with even grout joints of uniform width. Lippage — where adjacent tiles are at different heights relative to each other — indicates poor setting-out or use of poorly dimensioned tiles on an uneven substrate. Grout joints that are uneven, inconsistent in width, or poorly filled indicate inadequate workmanship.
Check that external corners where tiles meet — at the edge of a tiled bath surround or at the corner of a tiled kitchen splash back — are neatly finished with appropriate trim or mitered cuts. Roughly cut tile edges with visible ragged cuts are a marker of low workmanship standards.
Paint Application
Look at the painted surfaces in raking light — light coming from the side at a low angle — which reveals surface imperfections that direct overhead lighting conceals. Runs, sags, brush marks, and areas of inconsistent sheen all indicate paint applied hastily over inadequately prepared surfaces.
Check the paint at external corners of walls and around door frames, which are high-wear areas. Paint that is already chipping, flaking, or wearing through at these locations in a new or recently constructed building indicates either that primer was not applied or that an inappropriate paint type was used for the surface condition.
Joinery and Fittings
Open and close every cupboard door, drawer, and fitted wardrobe in the apartment. Check that hinges are properly adjusted and that doors hang square and close flush. Check that drawer runners operate smoothly and that drawers do not drop at the front when pulled out. Cheap cabinet hardware fails quickly and is expensive to replace across an entire kitchen or bedroom fitout.
Check the quality of the sanitary fittings in bathrooms and toilets. Basin taps should operate smoothly, the water flow should be consistent, and the tap body should be solid metal rather than the plastic-bodied fittings found in very low-grade fitouts. Cistern flush mechanisms should operate cleanly and the cistern should not run continuously after flushing. Shower mixers should move through their temperature range smoothly without sticktion or sudden jumps.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
Electrical Panel and Wiring
A well-constructed apartment will have a modern miniature circuit breaker (MCB) distribution board with residual current devices (RCDs) protecting all socket circuits. The Kenya Power and Lighting Company’s connection standards and the Electrical Wiring Regulations require RCD protection on socket circuits in residential installations.
An apartment with an old rewirable fuse board, or a modern-looking board that lacks RCDs, has either been wired without compliance with current standards or has had the original board replaced cheaply. Both are safety concerns.
Check whether the cable sizes visible at the distribution board appear appropriate for the circuits they serve. Undersized cable is a fire risk that is not immediately visible but manifests when circuits are loaded to capacity. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers of East Africa has published guidance notes on common residential wiring deficiencies in Kenyan housing, citing undersized cable as one of the most frequently encountered problems.
Plumbing and Drainage
In addition to the tap and drainage checks described above, ask whether the building’s water supply pipework is copper, CPVC, or PPR plastic. PPR (polypropylene random copolymer) pipework, which has become the standard in Nairobi apartment construction since approximately 2010, is durable, resistant to corrosion, and well-suited to the local water chemistry. Galvanised steel pipework, which was common in older buildings, corrodes internally over time and releases rust particles that discolour the water supply.
Check whether wastewater from the building discharges to the Nairobi City County sewer network or to a private septic system. Buildings connected to the city sewer have lower long-term maintenance costs for wastewater management. A private septic system requires regular pumping and maintenance, the cost of which falls on the management corporation.
What to Do When You Identify Construction Defects
If your viewing reveals significant construction defects, you have three options.
The first is to walk away. This is often the right decision if the defects are structural, widespread, or clearly expensive to remedy. There are many good apartments available in Nairobi across its established residential areas, and no single property is worth accepting a compromised structure.
The second is to commission a professional building survey before proceeding. A structural engineer or building surveyor registered with the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya can assess the severity of the defects, estimate remediation costs, and provide a written report that you can use in price negotiations with the seller.
The third is to negotiate a price reduction that reflects the cost of remediation. If the defects are minor and quantifiable, a reduction in the purchase price that covers the cost of repair, including a margin for contingencies, is a reasonable outcome. Your advocate can formalise this in the sale agreement, ensuring the reduced price is reflected in the transaction documents.
For buyers actively exploring apartment options in Nairobi, our listings for 2-bedroom apartments for sale in Nairobi, 3-bedroom apartments for sale in Kilimani, 2-bedroom apartments for sale in Westlands, and 3-bedroom apartments for sale in Kileleshwa feature current options across the city’s most active residential markets.
Conclusion
Poor construction in apartments is not always visible to the untrained eye, but it always becomes visible eventually — usually at a point when you are already the owner and the remediation costs are your problem. The signs described in this guide, from structural cracking and slab deflection to waterproofing failures and substandard finishes, give you the framework to approach every apartment viewing with the critical eye of someone who knows what to look for.
Do not rely on the developer’s marketing materials or the agent’s assurances. Rely on what you observe, what a professional surveyor confirms, and what the official inspections and approvals on file tell you about whether the building was constructed properly and to the required standards.
A well-built apartment in Nairobi is a genuinely valuable long-term asset. A poorly built one is a recurring cost centre. The difference is visible if you know how to look.
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