The Nairobi County Government has stated that the controversial cap on the height and floors of high-rise buildings in top suburbs is set to be lifted. This was announced by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on the 24th of March,2024 while defending the government’s approval of high-rises in Kileleshwa and Lavington. The NCCA Sessional Paper No.1 of 2022 on NCC Development Control Policy stipulated that buildings in Kileleshwa were not allowed to exceed 15 floors, while Lavington was limited to single dwellings, alongside Upper Spring Valley, Kyuna, and Loresho areas.
The Governor argued that high-rise buildings are necessary to accommodate Nairobi’s fast-growing population. He clarified that the 15-floor limit only applies to areas near airports, such as the Eastleigh Airbase. The Governor stated that while height approvals are under review, there will be other considerations before high-rises are approved for construction such as plot ratios, ground coverage, and area character. The city will aim to develop better sewerage and water reservoirs to facilitate growth.
In 2012, the City Council of Nairobi reviewed its building by-laws to allow developers to build office blocks in high-end estates located to the west of the city. The changes, which were made under a new land use policy, aimed to encourage people to work closer to their homes to ease congestion in the city centre. All high-end estates west of Nairobi, except Muthaiga and Runda, were opened up to commercial property developers.
The proposal by the Governor has however faced backlash from professional bodies and Residents’ Associations within Nairobi who term the policy as failing to follow the correct procedure as outlined in the planning laws.
The professional bodies highlighted the need for responsible densification guided by proper planning processes, prioritizing critical infrastructure development, including sewerage, water reticulation, schools, health amenities, open green spaces, and fire and emergency services, They further urged the county to prioritize the development and execution of physical land use plans and local physical development plans (LPDPs) for neighborhoods, emphasizing the importance of planned development in light of recent flooding and gas explosions in residential areas. We anticipate that these concerns will be factored in the proposed policy and shall provide further updates regarding this.
