Sakaja Halts All Pending Building Development Approvals With Immediate Effect

 Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday, April 24, announced that the county was banning all pending building development approvals.

This was in response to the continued heavy downpour in the capital which had put major infrastructure at risk of collapse. "We have halted all pending building development approvals until we are able to review those that are continuing across the city," he stated.

Sakaja added that his administration was banning with immediate effect all excavations within Nairobi County. "All excavations of buildings especially those that have gone close to their neighbours have been stopped forthwith because of structural integrity of the building cannot be assured at this time," Sakaja added.

This comes after Heavy rains have been falling across Kenya since the Easter holiday in 2024. The rain has caused floods, damaging property and leading to over 30 deaths in different parts of the country.

In the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, floods have shown the weaknesses in drainage and infrastructure in Machakos, Nairobi, and Kajiado counties. In Homa Bay County, more than 600 people have been forced out of their homes by overflowing rivers like Sondu Miriu and Tende. After heavy rains, many roads in Nairobi have become impassable or dangerous.