Contract Forms & Suites
Green Book
Quick Definition
"Standard JBC form recommended for Kenyan building and engineering works of relatively small capital value and traditional procurement."
In the context of the Kenyan construction industry, the Green Book refers to the Joint Building Council (JBC) Standard Form of Building Contract.
It is the most widely recognized contract template for private-sector building projects in Kenya.
Key Characteristics:
- Color-Coded Identity: It earned its nickname simply from the green cover of the printed document traditionally sold by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) and the Kenya Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (KABCIC).
- Traditional Procurement: It is designed for "Employer-led" projects, where an Architect provides the full design and the Contractor is hired to execute the works based on Bills of Quantities.
- Administrative Hub: The contract places the Architect at the center of the project, giving them the authority to issue instructions, certify payments, and assess extensions of time.
- Local Governance: Unlike international forms like FIDIC, the Green Book is specifically tailored to Kenyan law and local industry practices.
Note: While the "1999 Edition" is the most famous version of the Green Book, modern practitioners often supplement it with additional clauses to account for 21st-century requirements like modern insurance or digital communication. In fact there were attempts to update the JBC contract in the late 2020s.