•Notice issued by Governor Mike Sonko said it will shut down all the premises that would not have complied by the notice at lapse of the 30 days.
•However, this is not the first time Sonko is making such an order as City Hall has been giving such orders since Kidero's reign though little done to implement the order.
City Hall has issued a 30-day ultimatum for all traders within the CBD to repaint their premises.
In a notice issued by Governor Mike Sonko, City Hall on Tuesday said it will shut down all the premises that do not comply with the notice.
Sonko made the announcement after an impromptu tour of the CBD to inspect progress of the ongoing beautification project.
“Nairobi is a commercial hub. We should make sure that it is beautiful and clean. All buildings should be repainted. Owners have a choice to either maintain their original colours or change them as they wish,” he said.
County laws require that property owners repaint their premises after every two years, Sonko said.
“Those who haven’t complied with the by-laws should do so before we start taking action. Our aim is to maintain the good image of the Capital City which is the regional economic hub,” he stated.
Sonko’s sentiments were echoed by the Nairobi County Assembly Housing Committee Chairman Antony Karanja together with the Lands Executive Winnie Gathangu who said heroffice is ready to enforce the directive by the Governor.
Gathangu said though the owners have the will to choose on which colours, the renovation must maintain the required standards.
“I had a meeting with my department officials on the same and we are soon going to enforce the laws to ensure all property owners in the CBD comply,” she said.
This is however not the first time Sonko is making such an order.
Since former governor Evans Kidero’s reign, city hall has been issuing orders for owners to repaint their buildings though little done to implement the order.
In 2015 when Kidero made such an order, Real estate company Hass Consult's marketing manager Sakina Hassanali opposed it saying repainting buildings increases their value and rental income for landlords.
She said the order was not practical and cost effective to repaint every two years given the developments in the paint sector.
"The initiative to repaint all buildings every two years is not cost effective for the owners as the minimum warranty period for external paint is 5 years from reliable dealers such as Duracoat and Crown Paints.