Kidero to demolish 50,000 buildings with no City Hall approval
Developers who built homes without City Hall approval have six months to seek fresh permits for their property or risk demolition.
The Nairobi City County Regularisation of Development Bill, which was passed two weeks ago, offered a window to those who built without development permits to seek City Hall’s nod before end of February.
A number of high-rise buildings especially in Eastlands were built without the county’s approval.
The main reason given was that the owners did not have title deeds and only held share certificates from land-buying companies.
The law has previously stipulated that one must hold a title to have their projects approved and issued with a development permit.
“Teams have been formed to look at the applications (from developers) and vet them. We’ll accept post-facto (retroactive) approval for post-development drawings,” said Governor Evans Kidero.
PULL THEM DOWN
“This is being given for six months and anybody who has not had their building regularised in six months, we will pull them down.”
Structurally sound buildings will be approved while those with minor defects will have to be altered according to the advice of vetting engineers, he said.
“We have in the region of 50,000 structures in Nairobi which have not been approved yet they are occupied.”
Those who will be seeking to regularise their properties will be charged the same amounts as if they were applying for a development permit before construction.
City Hall did not indicate if there would be a penalty or administrative fee. However, those cleared for approvals will have to pay outstanding land rates before getting permits.
The county also gave a 30-day waiver on land rate penalties.
The new law also allows the county to pull down buildings built on river banks, railway and road reserves.