New law powers City Hall’s push for smarter urban planning

Nairobi County is preparing to launch a new urban planning initiative aimed at managing its rapid growth and promoting orderly development.

This follows the passage of the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Bill, 2025, by the County Assembly.

The bill now awaits the assent of Governor Johnson Sakaja, expected later this month.

Once signed into law, the legislation will allow the county to formally document and regularise developments that were previously constructed without official approval.

It will also bring into the county’s valuation roll properties that had been omitted in the past, enabling more accurate revenue collection and improved urban organisation.

Governor Sakaja emphasised the importance of improved planning in light of Nairobi’s rapidly growing population.

“Nairobi has over seven million people during the day. This calls for better housing for our people, and better planning for future development. It is paramount for our sake and for future generations,” he said.

The new law will establish a legal framework for identifying and assessing developments across the city.

It will also provide a path for landowners who had built on untitled or contested land to submit their building plans for review and inclusion in official records.

Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo said that enforcement will begin in densely populated areas such as Eastlands, Embakasi, Mwiki, Utawala, Roysambu, Pipeline, and Kasarani.

“These areas house nearly two million people. With this bill, we can bring landowners and developers on board so they can seek proper approval for land they subdivided,” said Analo.

He explained that many of the affected parcels were initially under land buying companies or were located on public land that has been tied up in legal disputes.

The new law, he said, provides a solution to long-standing land use challenges.

“This law will offer an opportunity for those who built without approval to regularise their developments, submit architectural drawings, have them reviewed, and be included in our system,” Analo added.

The bill proposes the creation of both an Advisory Committee and a Regularisation Technical Committee to oversee the process.

 Property owners will be required to apply for regularisation once officially notified, bringing them into compliance with the new urban management plan.