Nairobi Developers Given Six-Month Ultimatum as City Hall Warns of Demolitions in Major Building Crackdown
Johnson Sakaja has issued a six-month ultimatum to property owners and developers across the capital, warning that unauthorised buildings that fail to comply with county regulations by December could face demolition and other tough enforcement measures.
The directive comes under the newly introduced Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Developments Regulations, 2025, a programme aimed at giving developers what officials describe as a “final opportunity” to legalise structurally sound buildings erected without full approvals.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise, County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning Patrick Mbogo said the county was rolling out an intensive public awareness campaign to help developers understand the regularisation process and avoid future confrontations with authorities.
“This programme is intended to provide a structured pathway for compliance and reduce disputes arising from enforcement action,” Mbogo said.
Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning Patrick Analo confirmed that the grace period will run until December, after which county authorities will move aggressively against all non-compliant developments.
“Once the regularisation window closes, enforcement will be intensified against any developments that remain outside the law,” Analo warned.
The initiative applies to both completed and ongoing developments, meaning thousands of property owners who constructed buildings without proper county approvals now have a temporary chance to regularise their projects before the deadline expires.
Under the programme, developers have been urged to submit all available documents related to their properties, even where some requirements are incomplete. Officials say the County Urban Planning Department will guide applicants through the compliance process on a case-by-case basis.
County authorities further explained that qualifying developments will initially receive conditional approvals, while full Certificates of Compliance will only be issued after developers meet all planning, safety and regulatory requirements.
The regularisation exercise covers several critical areas, including change or extension of land use, subdivision and amalgamation of land parcels, building approvals, occupation certificates and lease renewals.
However, county officials stressed that not all buildings will qualify.
Structures erected on public land, riparian reserves or protected areas will automatically be excluded from the programme. Unsafe buildings and developments constructed in defiance of court orders will also face possible enforcement action.
Officials say the move is intended to reduce costly disputes between developers and the county government while improving compliance within the rapidly expanding city.
The county also believes the initiative will help property owners secure financing more easily by ensuring buildings have proper legal documentation and recognised approvals.
Authorities argue that the exercise could ultimately strengthen land ownership rights, improve urban planning standards and support better infrastructure and service delivery across Nairobi.
The warning comes amid growing concern over the rising number of building collapses reported in the capital in recent years — incidents that have claimed lives, displaced families and exposed serious weaknesses in construction oversight and urban planning enforcement.
With the December deadline now looming, developers across the city are facing mounting pressure to comply before City Hall begins what officials have described as a far tougher phase of enforcement.
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