Nairobi County has issued a firm warning to owners of unauthorised developments, signalling the start of a citywide operation that will combine enforcement with a structured regularisation programme to bring thousands of buildings in line with planning and safety laws.
The county has invoked the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, which gives it powers to stop illegal construction, prosecute offenders, impose penalties and demolish structures that violate development regulations.
Property owners have been given a limited opportunity to legalise their buildings before the county moves in with full enforcement.
Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning Patrick Analo on Wednesday said the exercise is part of a wider strategy to address the disorder that has plagued Nairobi’s real estate sector.
“The initiative seeks to grant approvals to buildings and structures erected without permits but which meet minimum planning and safety standards,” Analo said.
He explained that the regularisation drive is anchored in the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025. Under this law, developers, land-buying companies, investors and property owners with unapproved projects are invited to apply for authorisation.
The county will make public the list of unauthorised developments by placing notices in at least two national newspapers. The scope of the exercise includes subdivisions, change of use, building extensions, architectural and structural works, billboards, LEDs, wall wraps and informal settlements established on private land.
Analo noted that the initiative is not only about compliance but also about untangling complex land disputes that have delayed planning decisions in different parts of the city.
“Some of these matters went to court, and rulings were made. We are now giving property owners a chance to regularise before enforcement begins,” he said.
He pointed to the Kirima land case involving the family of the late businessman Gerishon Kirima and thousands of settlers as an example of the long-running legal disputes City Hall hopes to settle through this process.
The county has identified Ruai, Kasarani, Mwiki, Roysambu and several areas in Embakasi as the main hotspots where conflicts between land-buying companies, squatters and government allocations have resulted in widespread unauthorised developments.
To steer the process, a Regularisation Advisory Committee has been formed, bringing together planners, engineers, architects, surveyors and officials from lands, environment and public health departments.
The committee will review all applications submitted through the Nairobi Planning and Development Management System (NPDMS).
Only registered professionals such as architects, physical planners, structural engineers and environmental experts are allowed to file the applications on behalf of developers.
For developers, the new campaign offers a pathway to secure their investments legally, but for tenants living in these buildings, the county’s warning means their homes could be at risk if landlords ignore the regularisation process and face demolition orders.