Lighting Up Nairobi: City Hall restores streetlights, takes down illegal billboards on city avenues

The Nairobi City County Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal and cluttered billboards across the city, targeting major roads including Mombasa Road, Ngong Road, Waiyaki Way, and James Gichuru Road.

Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo has put advertising companies on notice, urging them to voluntarily take down unauthorised billboards or face stiff penalties.

“Advertising companies are urged to undertake self-removal of these billboards because if we remove them, we will impound them and charge the companies a removal penalty,” Analo warned.0

In addition to the billboard crackdown, Governor Johnson Sakaja-led administration has stepped up efforts to restore and expand street lighting across Nairobi. New lighting poles are being erected along Lower Hill Road, Dar es Salaam Road, Enterprise Road, Ngong Road, Arboretum Drive, and in several parts of Kilimani, the CBD, Buruburu, and Westlands.

However, Analo noted that some of the streetlight power cables have been tampered with by individuals installing unauthorized pole-mounted billboards.

"This interference compromises public safety and undermines the county’s investment in lighting infrastructure,” he said.

This latest phase of the clean-up follows the removal of a controversial billboard on Kenyatta Avenue, which officials said violated city regulations and obstructed Nairobi’s natural aesthetics.

“The city of Nairobi is blessed with a beautiful landscape dotted with trees and vegetation. We will not allow this to be spoilt by uncontrolled and illegal commercial billboards,” Analo emphasized.

City Hall has pledged that the beautification campaign will continue across all major routes, with a dual focus on restoring functional streetlights and eliminating visual clutter to preserve the capital’s scenic charm.