Nairobi News

The Nairobi City County Government has submitted Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023 on the Nairobi City County Development Control Policy to the Nairobi County Assembly for approval.

The policy, which is at an advanced stage before the County Assembly Planning Committee, will see some areas rezoned to allow for taller buildings in the city.

If Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Development Control Zoning Framework goes through, some of the areas perceived as posh, such as Kileleshwa and Kilimani, will lose their status.

According to Governor Sakaja, his move was prompted by the city’s population growth, which is expected to see most of the county’s areas turned into mixed development, commercial and office space.

“Nairobi is 696 square kilometres. By 2050, Nairobi will have a population of 10.5 million. Will we expand it? No, the only place we have to go is up, that is the only place we have,” Sakaja said.

While defending his proposal, the governor admitted that the county still faces a water shortage, which he promised to address during his tenure.

The policy framework has created up to 20 zones, each describing the number of altitudes in the area.

ZONE 1
The boundary runs from University Way, Nairobi River, Valley Road, Dennis Pritt Road to State House Road.
In this zone all heights will be 75 except in Tom Mboya, Uhuru Highway, Nairobi River, Landhies Road, Factory Street, Workshop Road, Bunyala Road, Uhuru Highway and Haile Selassie Avenue which will have up to 50 heights.

ZONE 2
This will include Muranga Road, Mathare River, Eastleigh Airbase and Nairobi River.
The tallest buildings to be allowed will be up to 25 storeys and will include Ngara East, Habib Ismailia Estate, Boma Yangu Ngara Estate, Kenya Railway Estate, Pangani Area, Kariokor, Ziwani, Pumwani, Majengo, California Estate, Mlango Kubwa, Gikomba Market, Eastleigh Residential, Eastleigh Commercial and Biafra Estate except for Muratina Street which is a single dwelling.

ZONE 3
This boundary runs through Mathari River, Boundary Road, Upper Hill and Ayany and Kibera.
In this zone the maximum height will be 30 storeys and the minimum will be 15 storeys in City Park Estate.

ZONE 4
This boundary consists of Westlands, Redhill Link Road, Waiyaki Way, Ring Road Parklands, Mathare River, Ngong Road and Joseph Kangethe Road.
The Lower Spring Valley of ZONE 2 including Mathare River, Westlands Redhill Link Road, Waiyaki Way and Ring Road Parklands will have up to 4 storeys, while the Mathari area between Waiyaki Way, Riverside Drive, Ring Road Westlands and Mahiga Mairu Avenue will have 16 storeys.
Kileleshwa and Kilimani area between Riverside Drive, Dennis Pritt road and Oloitoktok road will have 15 storeys and areas within 3 kilometres of State House will be limited to – 4 storeys.
The Ngong Road area will have 25 levels while Woodley: Kabarnet Gardens, Joseph Kangethe Estate, Ayany Estate, Kapitei Gardens will have 10 levels.

ZONE 5
This is the boundary that is purely single dwelling unit, including Loresho and Lavington, except James Gichuru Corridor which will have 16 storeys.

ZONE 6
This area is made up of two boundaries; Muthaiga and Spring Valley (Extension), both of which are categorised as single dwelling units.

ZONE 7
Huruma, Huruma NCC Housing, Huruma Kiamaiko, Mathare 4/A, Mathare Valley, Mathare North – Mathare Area 1 up to Kariobangi, Dandora and Korogocho will have up to 5 storeys.

ZONE 8
Includes Jogoo Road, Nairobi River, Outering Road, Kangundo Road and Ngong River.
Shauri Moyo will have buildings of up to 5 storeys, Maringo 16 storeys, Bahati, Kaloleni and Makongeni 8 storeys, Mbotela, Jericho, Jerusalem and Lumumba 16 storeys while Makadara and Donholm – Block 82 will have up to 10 storeys.
Sosian Estate, Jacaranda Estate, Greenfield, Nasra Gardens – Residential, Rabai Road Estate, Harambee NCC Estate and Tena Estate will be individual flats.

ZONE 9
This includes the railway line, Outer Ring Road, Nairobi River, Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway.
Main Industrial Area, Railways, Mukuru Village, Viwandani Dandora Industrial Zone, Kariobangi Industria and Mathare North Industrial will have heights of up to 8 storeys.
Zone 12 and Zone 13 boundaries will include Nairobi/Kajiado County boundary, Mutuini River and Ngong Forest boundary and Nairobi/Kiambu County boundary – Kiambu Road – Karura Forest boundary – Lower Kabete Road.