City Hall to launch crackdown on unauthorised buildings after regularisation deadline, Sakaja says
The Nairobi City County Government will, after the deadline, launch a citywide crackdown to bring thousands of unauthorised structures into compliance with urban planning and safety standards.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has called on owners of illegal or unapproved buildings to take advantage of the window provided to regularise their developments, warning that strict legal action will follow once the period under the Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025 lapses.
Speaking during the 25th anniversary celebrations of United Winner DT Sacco, Governor Sakaja emphasised that the Nairobi City County Government is determined to enforce planning laws.
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“If you know you have an illegal building, you have a window to regularise. Please come and regularise. When that window closes, that’s it, the law will take its course,” Sakaja cautioned.
The Nairobi City County Government will, after the deadline, launch a citywide crackdown to bring thousands of unauthorised structures into compliance with urban planning and safety standards.
A public notice from the Department of Built Environment and Urban Planning has already invited developers, property owners, and land-buying companies to apply for regularisation.
“It’s not about money; it’s our duty to ensure urban development happens in an orderly manner — with proper public utilities, access for emergencies, and structural integrity. That’s why we’re giving this window to regularise. After that, we will take action,” Sakaja emphasised.
The regularisation process allows developers to seek retrospective approval for buildings that were either constructed without submitting plans or deviated from approved designs, for example, erecting five floors after receiving permission for only two. These approvals will be granted subject to penalties and compliance checks.
In a public notice issued recently by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, City Hall invited developers, property owners, land-buying companies, and investors with unapproved projects to apply for regularisation. The exercise is anchored in the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025.
Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo, says the initiative seeks to grant approvals to buildings and structures erected without permits but which meet minimum planning and safety standards.
“To ensure transparency, the county government will publish notices of unauthorised developments in at least two national newspapers. The regularisation covers subdivisions, change of use, extensions, architectural plans, structural works, billboards, LEDs, wall wraps, and informal settlements on private land,” Analo said.
He added that the County is also keen on resolving longstanding land ownership and planning disputes that have complicated development in various neighbourhoods.
Unapproved projects that fail to comply will face enforcement under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019. Areas affected include Ruai, Kasarani, Mwiki, Roysambu, and several parts of Embakasi, where disputes have involved land-buying companies, squatters, and government allocations.
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