City Hall cracks down on billboard firms owing over Ksh.500M in unpaid fees

According to Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo Akivaga, the crackdown ordered by the County Executive Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning is focusing on areas including James Gichuru Road, Olenguruone Road, and Kingara Road.

Analo revealed that several outdoor advertising firms owe the county more than Ksh.500 million, funds that were paid to them by private clients for remittance to the county as advertising fees.

“Some of these companies have not only failed to remit what is owed but have also erected illegal billboards and cut down trees in the process,” he said, adding that enforcement teams will continue the operation until full compliance is achieved.

The county has warned that all illegal billboards will be pulled down and defaulters prosecuted as part of efforts to restore order and reclaim lost revenue.

At the same time, the Department of Planning has launched a fresh crackdown to bring thousands of unauthorised developments into compliance with planning laws.

City Hall has invited developers, property owners, land-buying companies, and investors with unapproved projects to apply for regularisation. The exercise is anchored in the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025.

Analo said the initiative seeks to grant approvals to buildings and structures erected without permits but which meet minimum planning and safety standards.

“To ensure transparency, the county government will publish notices of unauthorised developments in at least two national newspapers. The regularisation covers subdivisions, change of use, extensions, architectural plans, structural works, billboards, LEDs, wall wraps, and informal settlements on private land,” Analo explained.

He added that the county is also keen on resolving longstanding land ownership and planning disputes that have complicated development in various neighbourhoods.

Unapproved projects that fail to comply will face enforcement under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019. Areas affected include Ruai, Kasarani, Mwiki, Roysambu, and several parts of Embakasi, where disputes have involved land-buying companies, squatters, and government allocations.