Nairobi County to begin building maintenance checks on Monday, penalize non-compliant owners

The Nairobi City County Government will, from next Monday, begin a compliance check exercise on all buildings in the capital to ensure that the premises are properly maintained.

According to the County Department of Health and Nutrition, non-compliant property owners who have not repainted their buildings after receiving a 14-day final warning from City Hall will be vulnerable to penalties following inspections.

Health and Nutrition County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Suzanne Silantoi confirmed that officers from the County Health Department will embark on the inspection.

“From Monday, our officers will commence compliance checks on all buildings — both those that have repainted and those that have not. We issued a 14-day ultimatum, and while many have responded positively, a number are still lagging behind,” said Silantoi.

She noted that the order covers property owners, tenants, and management agents in key commercial zones, including the CBD, Westlands, Upper Hill, Ngara, Kirinyaga Road, and major shopping centres, and that failure to that order may result in penalties like statutory closure or prosecution.

“Restoring Nairobi’s image as a clean, modern African capital is paramount. This is the capital city, we must reflect that in how our buildings look,” she said.

The county governor, Johnson Sakaja, had waived all repainting permit fees so as to ease financial constraints on property owners.

This directive is rooted in the Public Health Act (Cap 242) and the Physical and Land Use Planning Act (2019), which require all buildings to meet minimum public health and maintenance standards.

Silantoi highlighted property owners who have already complied, like the I&M Building, among others, adding that some buildings have not been repainted since they were constructed decades ago.

Nairobians should expect revived efforts to restore the city's skyline and maintain its image as a vibrant modern African capital.