We has BS and KS...there lies the answer.
Check the railways buildings done in 1900a and those Victorian buidings scattered in town.

I think it's all about planned obsolescence! it's not in anyone's interest to manufacture permanent things

baf, it's British standards and Kenyan standards, by the way I have a partner who was asked to bring down a ka-building in Pangani those old muhindi one storey house he under estimated the demolition and charged little (signed) a contract we lost a lot of money, a muscular guy hits the terrazzo and sparks come out,
even the wall it's like those stones ni zile za 'chuma'
nowadays ni kupima simiti ndio inatuua, by the way that ka-house had no columns yet it was so strong.

Fundis want to be called for repairs.

Officially, Shift to eurocodes was done in September 2012 via a gazette notice number 13048. Government ikalaia maskio but now there are renewed efforts by Kebs in conjunction with Moi University to effect the change by the year 2021.

Everything that was done in yester years seems to have been better quality than what we get now. Several reasons could be true.. In buildings, one certain reason is that there were fewer construction jobs and only very experienced professionals and artisans were involved. Currently, every tom dick and harry wants a piece of the construction industry pie. Unqualified and inexperienced people get jobs since they charge way lower and the public wants to save.

mimi I am not an expert, but just from observtion, I see most cracks appearing on the outer smother layer, kitambo they used a mixture of some very fine sand and cement for that layer, siku hizi they just mix cement and water for the same.

Uliwacha welding ukaingia mjengo? Happy days!