The Ministry of Lands, under Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, will now oversee development projects in specific parts of Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).
This comes as the Nairobi Railway City is designated as a Strategic National Inter-County project.
In a notice dated March 12, 2024, the Cabinet Secretary would be in charge of reviewing and approving development permissions for projects within the newly classified area.
"Consequent to this classification, the statutory responsibility for the Physical and Land Use Planning activities for the entire Nairobi Railway City lies solely with the Director of Physical Planning,"
"All development control activities within the jurisdiction of the Nairobi Railway City are under the sole authority of the Cabinet Secretary responsible for Physical Planning Matters, as provided for under the provisions of section 13(g) and 69 (4) of the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, respectively," reads the notice.
The mapped section includes regions stretching from Haile Sellassie Avenue to Bunyala Road, Commercial Street, and Landhis Road.
Noteworthy institutions falling within this classified area comprise The Technical University of Kenya, Government Press, Kenya Railways Headquarters, Police Housing, and Wakulima House.
This move is part of the government's initiative to expand the CBD.
As part of this plan, a new railway station will be constructed in collaboration with the United Kingdom government.
In December 2022, President William Ruto officially presided over the groundbreaking of the Sh27.9 billion project at the Nairobi Central Railway station.
His government is banking on the Nairobi Railway City plan not only to decongest the city centre but change the face of Nairobi.
With the Sh27.9 billion Nairobi Railway City, Railway infrastructure and water supply will take the bulk of the costs at Sh17.5 billion and Sh3.9 billion respectively.
The iconic multi-modal urban development project will be situated within 425 acres, of which 292 acres are owned by the Kenya Railways and currently serving as the Nairobi Railway Station.
The implementation of the project is estimated to take 20 years, with the first phase (development) expected to take place between now and 2030.
The project, which is part of the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Plan also aims at expanding the capital's Central Business District.
