Up To 25 Floors- Govt Scraps Floor Limit For Buildings In Nairobi

The Nairobi county government has removed the floor limit for landlords constructing high-rise residential apartments in the capital city following the green light given by the Kenya Kwanza government.

Governor Johnson Sakaja, who spoke at a church service in Makadara on Sunday, March 24, revealed that landlords would be allowed to construct buildings that would rise to 25 floors.

This is a shift from previous requirements which restricted developers to residential buildings which are four floors high.

However, according to Governor Sakaja, the restrictions were put in place in Nairobi and residential areas close to airports such as the Moi Airbase in Eastleigh to facilitate the safe evacuation of the President during emergencies.

He thus argued that the rapidly rising population in Nairobi as well as changes in the city would not facilitate such an evacuation, therefore prompting the review of the restrictions.

The county boss affirmed his findings regarding the rising population in the city in response to complaints by Nairobi residents on the development of High-rise estates in various areas of the city such as Kilimani and Kileleshwa.

According to him, the city was unable to expand from its current surface area, hence the limits had to be lifted.

“I have heard people complaining that in areas of Kileleshwa and Lavington, our homes were one-storey now apartments have come. Nairobi is 696 square Kilometres, in 2050 the population will be 10.5 Million people and since we can’t expand the city, the only way to go is up,” explained Sakaja.

The governor however assured that the city would aim to develop better sewerage and water reservoirs to facilitate the growth.

The lifting of the restrictions comes amidst criticism towards the Nairobi County leadership by residents for ignoring their plight about issues surrounding the development of high-rise estates in the suburbs of Kilimani and Kileleshwa.

Those living in Rhapta Road in Westlands, for instance, decried insecurity and water shortage in the area among others owing to the increase in what they refer to as illegal and unauthorized high-rise developments.