ISK Pushes to Amend CUE Act After Thousands of Graduates Fail Professional Registration

Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) has called on the government to amend the Commission for University Education (CUE) Act, warning that universities and technical institutions are producing thousands of graduates with qualifications that professional bodies cannot recognize for registration.

ISK President Eric Nyadimo raised the alarm on Wednesday at the inaugural Kenya Geospatial and Real Estate Conference in Mombasa County, held at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and Spa. He said families are spending heavily on education only for their children to graduate into programmes that fail to meet industry standards.

“There is no need for parents to spend a lot of money educating their children on courses that at the end of the day they cannot be registered,” said Nyaribo.

Why ISK Says the CUE Act Amendment Is Urgent

Nyadimo said the removal of professional and regulatory bodies from the university accreditation process has weakened oversight. As a result, institutions now offer programmes that bypass industry standards without any formal check from the bodies that govern professional practice.

He also accused the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) of failing to adequately regulate training institutions that offer surveying-related courses.

According to Nyadimo, some of these institutions run certificate programmes lasting as little as three months.

“Those are not professionals. And once you have given them a bit of training, they start doing other things, and it becomes very difficult to stop them,” he warned.

Nyadimo said the rise of unqualified practitioners carries direct risks for members of the public who rely on their services. He added that the problem is also eroding professional standards across the wider surveying and built environment sectors.

ISK Raises Concerns Over Regulator Funding and Ardhi Sasa Delays

In addition to accreditation failures, Nyadimo said professional regulatory bodies currently lack adequate funding to enforce standards and discipline offenders.

He told delegates that ISK has escalated the matter to the Head of Public Service and is now engaging the National Treasury directly.

“We have raised these concerns with the Head of Public Service and we are engaging the National Treasury because regulators must be properly facilitated to do their work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nyadimo criticized the government’s Ardhi Sasa digital land platform, saying it has slowed land transactions rather than improving efficiency.

He said ISK is engaging the Ministry of Lands to fix the system and expand access beyond Nairobi.

ISK Questions Why Authorities Allow Illegal Buildings to Rise Before Acting

Nyadimo also questioned why county governments and the National Construction Authority (NCA) allow structures to go up over months or years before ordering demolitions for planning violations.

He argued that modern surveying technology can detect illegal developments at an early stage, making late enforcement unnecessary.

“When a building is being constructed, it is not something that takes days. It takes months, it takes years. Why are county governments, the National Construction Authority, and other bodies allowing these constructions and then coming back later saying you built in the wrong place?” he posed.

He argued that delayed enforcement damages investor confidence in the built environment sector and called on authorities to use available geospatial tools to act earlier.

Two-Day Conference Brings Together Geospatial and Real Estate Stakeholders

The two-day conference runs under the theme: Innovate, Include, Invest, Shaping Kenya’s Geospatial and Real Estate Future.

It has brought together government officials, private sector players, academic institutions, development partners, and international stakeholders.

ISK Deputy President Nelly Mbugua said discussions at the conference cover artificial intelligence in geospatial work, cybersecurity of land data systems, mapping of underground utilities, riparian land management, professional ethics, and implementation of the Sectional Properties Act.