Building owners in Nairobi will soon be required to regularise their developments or risk them being brought down.
The move will affect those buildings that were constructed without the necessary approvals under the National Physical Planning Act and other relevant Nairobi City County legislation.
Lands and Urban Planning County executive Charles Kerich on Thursday said that City Hall was working on the Nairobi City County Regularisation Act, 2021 which will compel those with buildings to present their plans for review and determination on whether they are structurally and architecturally sound.
He said a task force had already been gazetted to come up with the Act which will be tabled at the Assembly in a month’s time.
“The review will ensure that those with unapproved buildings regularise the same and the owners will be told the amount they owe the county. If the plans are found to be okay, the county government will give one the approval they ought to have gotten before and thereafter pay for the requisite planning approval plan,” said Kerich.
The approvals and occupation certificates, he said, will only be issued to owners upon inspection of the buildings.
“Instead of first bringing down the buildings, we will have conversations with the owners so we can assist by having them apply for regularization and the buildings checked,” added Kerich.
He however warned that structurally unsound buildings will not be regularized but brought down. – Standard
