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NEWS: The construction sector is well poised for illicit activities.

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A recent government report in Kenya disclosed a startling statistic, indicating that more than half of the private companies documented for money laundering activities are connected to the construction sector. This report has garnered significant attention and highlights the prevalence of irregular activities in this industry, which is characterized by the intensive use of cash. The construction industry is booming in Kenya, having contributed 7.1 percent of the GDP in 2022. However, this growth has made it a prime target for illicit activities, such as money laundering, which has placed Kenya on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-money laundering watchdog. This grey-listing indicates that Kenya is not effectively implementing FATF's standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, including maintaining an efficient register of beneficial ownership. Analysts warn that this could damage the reputation of Kenya's financial
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NEWS: Stricter tender rules key to construction reaching net-zero in the UK

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UK's Construction minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan has outlined three government procurement changes designed to push the industry towards net-zero


Construction minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan has outlined three government procurement changes designed to push the industry towards net-zero.

Speaking at day one of CN’s Decarbonsing Construction event , Trevelyan said the government had to use its buying power to create change: “It’s likely that, going forward, government tenders will place greater emphasis on climate change. We have made it very clear that whole-life value rather than upfront cost is key, and carbon impact is a critical element in assessing broader value.”

The minister listed three actions the government was taking to ensure contractors commit to reducing their carbon contributions.


Central to its plan is the ‘carbon exclusion measure’, a warning that companies without net-zero plans, or  not committed to net-zero by 2050, will be barred from bidding for public sector work. The policy, first announced in June, will apply to contracts above £5m. The government said applying it to smaller contracts would be a burden to SMEs.

Trevelyan also highlighted the National Procurement Policy statement, which stipulates that public sector buyers must consider how their procurement can tackle climate change and reduce waste.

The third and final measure is a requirement for central government departments to “expressly evaluate environmental, social and economic benefits” during the procurement process.

Trevelyan said achieving carbon reduction in the construction industry was vital to meeting the government’s goal of the UK economy being net-zero by 2050.

She said: “There are few partnerships more important than ours [government with construction]. To realise our bold vision for building back better, we need to wed our strengthening partnership to a bold new approach to the built environment, fundamentally changing how we plan design and deliver new our homes and infrastructure.”

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