Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has waived the application and approval requirements for minor building repairs across the city as Nairobi steps up preparations for the anticipated El Niño rains.
The waiver takes effect immediately and will remain in place until the onset of the rains, allowing residents to undertake minor works without going through the usual county approval process.
Sakaja said the move is intended to enable Nairobi residents to take early measures to protect their homes and compounds from the effects of heavy rainfall.
“I have waived the application and approval processes for minor building repairs in Nairobi from now until the onset of the El Niño rains,” Sakaja said during an inspection of flood mitigation works across the city.
He said the waiver would allow residents to install gutters and undertake other minor repairs to their houses and compounds ahead of the rains.
The governor added that he had directed the County Secretary to issue formal communication on the waiver.
The announcement comes as Nairobi intensifies flood-prevention measures, including the deployment of additional earth-moving equipment to identified hotspots and the widening, deepening and desilting of drainage channels.
The county is also working with agencies including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Red Cross and the Nairobi Rivers Commission under a coordinated flood-preparedness programme.
