Nairobi property owners with buildings put up without the required approvals have until December 31, 2026, to regularise eligible developments or risk enforcement action by the county government.
The Nairobi City County Government has opened a temporary amnesty that gives owners an opportunity to have qualifying structures assessed, regularised and brought within the required planning rules.
Those seeking to take advantage of the programme must submit their applications through a licensed architect, structural engineer and/or physical planner.
The county said the initiative is intended to give property owners a chance to correct planning breaches while helping improve the city's development standards.
"This is an opportunity to regularise eligible developments and ensure Nairobi grows in an orderly, safe and properly planned manner," reads the notice.
However, the amnesty does not apply to developments occupying public land, road reserves or riparian land. Owners of such structures will therefore not qualify for regularisation under the programme.
The county has warned that eligible developments that remain unregularised once the December deadline passes could be subjected to enforcement measures.
Possible action includes requiring owners to modify structures, stop using buildings for particular purposes or demolish developments that fail to meet planning requirements.
The Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Developments Act, 2025, provides the legal basis for dealing with unauthorised developments that are not regularised, including demolition where necessary.
The enforcement process is further covered by the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019. Under the law, the county can issue an enforcement notice where construction has taken place without the necessary approval or where conditions attached to planning permission have not been followed.
An enforcement notice can require a property owner to correct the breach. Depending on the circumstances, this could mean making changes to the building, demolishing part or all of it, or ending a particular use of the property.
Owners who receive such notices have the right to challenge the decision by appealing to the County Physical and Land Use Planning Liaison Committee within 14 days.
Failure to obey an enforcement notice may also result in criminal liability. A person convicted under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act can be fined up to Sh500,000, jailed for up to two months, or receive both penalties.
The county has also clarified that the expiry of the December 31 amnesty does not mean every affected building will be demolished immediately.
Before enforcement action is taken, Nairobi must follow the required legal process, including issuing the appropriate notices and giving property owners the period provided by law to comply or appeal.
The county is encouraging owners of eligible unauthorised developments to start the regularisation process early instead of waiting until the amnesty period is about to end.
Applications for county services can be made by dialling *647# or through Nairobi's online services portal.
Property owners who need clarification about the regularisation programme can contact the county through 0725 624 489 or 0730 047 047.