In a sweeping move aimed at restoring order to Nairobi’s rapidly expanding skyline, the Nairobi City County Government has opened a six-month amnesty window allowing owners of unauthorized developments to regularize their properties — and potentially escape demolition.
Announced on Friday, December 5, the unprecedented notice offers what City Hall describes as a “one-time opportunity” for developers, property owners, and occupiers to bring non-compliant structures into line with county planning laws without facing penalties.
The amnesty targets thousands of structures that have mushroomed across the capital — from informal extensions and unapproved building plans to irregular land use changes — many of which have hovered on the brink of enforcement action.
City Hall says applicants who take advantage of the window can avoid punitive measures, including demolition, while securing formal recognition and compliance certification.
“Regularized projects will be integrated into official planning frameworks and will receive technical guidance from county professionals,” the notice states.
Applications can be submitted through the Nairobi Planning and Development Management System (NPDMS) or delivered physically to Sub-County offices or City Hall.
The county is encouraging applicants to submit whatever documents they currently have, with planners advising on any missing requirements. All applications must be lodged within six months.
Once submitted, each case will undergo review and may receive conditional approval outlining steps needed to achieve full compliance. A Certificate of Compliance will be issued once all conditions are met, and successful developments will be formally recorded in county registers.
Eligible developments include:
Building plans
Occupation certificates
Subdivision or amalgamation
Change or extension of use
Lease renewal or extension
But City Hall has drawn clear red lines. Ineligible developments include:
Properties on public land
Buildings on riparian or protected zones
Unsafe or structurally unsound structures
Projects violating court orders
Any development started after October 2025, when new regulations took effect
All submissions must be certified by registered professionals — planners, architects, or engineers — who will be held accountable for negligent or false declarations. Payments for the process will follow the Nairobi City County Finance Act.
The county warns that failure to comply within the six-month deadline will trigger enforcement actions as prescribed by law.
Meanwhile, Nairobi County Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge has dismissed reports that the county intends to raise daily parking fees from Ksh300 to Ksh520.
Speaking on Tuesday, December 2, Njoroge clarified that the newly launched Tariff and Pricing Policy 2025–2030 is only a framework that guides how charges are set, reviewed, and adjusted — not an automatic fee hike.
“The cost analysis shows parking currently costs Ksh520 to provide, but that does not mean charges will rise,” he said. “Any change must go through the Finance Act and consider economic realities and public interest.”
He noted that Nairobi is the first county since devolution to create such a structured pricing policy, intended to curb arbitrary fees, seal revenue leakages, and reduce legal disputes.
“Governor Sakaja Johnson is not planning to hike any service charge. The county is sensitive to economic conditions and the needs of Nairobi residents,” Njoroge added.
With Nairobi’s construction boom showing no signs of slowing, City Hall’s amnesty window sets the stage for a crucial showdown between regulation and the city’s chaotic urban growth — offering developers a final escape hatch before the law catches up.
