Nairobi CBD building owners now given 14 days notice

The Nairobi City County Government will now take stern action against owners of properties within the Central Business District who will not have repainted their buildings by August 1, 2019.

The County Government has officially notified all the property owners to comply with the County By-Laws that require them to repaint their buildings after every two years.

Acting County Secretary and Head of County Public Service Leboo Morintat in his notice to the property owners, has warned tough legal action against any property owner who will not have complied.

“To improve on the aesthetics and beauty of our city, it is hereby notified to all property owners in the Nairobi City County Central Business District, that they should clean/repaint/redecorate their buildings as required by law,” part of the statement reads.

The property owners have also been given a blanket approval to improve all their plot frontages with approved concrete blocks.

This is the area between the plot boundary and the road pavement. The notice has earmarked properties within Nairobi’s CBD.

“Upon the expiry from the date of this notice, necessary legal measures will be instituted to ensure the same,” the notice further reads.

The acting County Secretary vowed to ensure that the repainting is done and to the required standards.

Leboo noted that Nairobi has been globally recognized as the most dynamic, innovative and resilient city and that its status must be protected.

This is to improve the aesthetic value of the city and maintain health standards.

According to Nairobi City County by laws, under General Nuisance Section, it’s an offence for building owners to fail to repair or maintain buildings to required standards

“The County government should enforce the by-law on maintenance of buildings. Those who fail to adhere to the by-laws should face the law,” said the Waithaka MCA.

Housing and Lands executive Winnie Gathagu said as a commercial hub, Nairobi must look smart and orderly at all times.

“That is why we will be very strict with this,” she said.

Earlier this year, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko urged building owners in the CBD to re-decorate their properties to ensure the city maintains its status.

“We know Nairobi is the city of choice to invest, work and live in but we must do a lot to maintain that status in the region and even globally,” he said while inspecting the Nairobi County beautification exercise.

The capital city has attracted a big number of foreign investors due to its strategic location in Africa.

Sonko wants to leverage on this to make it more attractive for both business and leisure.

His order to remove matatus from the CBD is part of efforts to achieve this.

Nairobi was last month crowned as Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination at World Travel Awards 2019 Gala Dinner held in Mauritius.

The Kenyan capital beat seven other African cities including Accra (Ghana), Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa and Nigeria’s Lagos to emerge winner.

Sonko said these standards must be maintained in order to attract more tourists and investors, which in turn will improve the capital’s economy and help raise the living standards of residents.

The governor said his vision of making Nairobi Africa’s city of choice cannot be undermined by property owners who ignore county by-laws.