Kenyan court ruling voids new development approvals in Nairobi's Parklands
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The Parklands Residents Association says approvals for changes of use, densification, demolitions and building works issued after 14 October 2026 are null and void because Nairobi City County missed court-ordered planning deadlines.
Development approvals issued for properties in Nairobi's Parklands area after 14 October 2026 have been declared null and void in a notice by the Parklands Residents Association, which cites Nairobi City County's failure to comply with court orders.
The association said the Environment and Land Court, in a judgment delivered on 14 October 2025, directed the county to establish a physical planning consultative forum within six months and to prepare and gazette development plans for Nairobi County and Parklands within 12 months. According to a notice dated 15 October 2026, those deadlines expired without the required forum being operationalised or the two development plans being put in place.
The court found that the county had failed to establish the consultative forum required under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019. It also ruled that the county's actions and omissions relating to developments in Parklands since August 2019 had violated residents' constitutional rights to human dignity and to a clean and healthy environment.
The affected approvals include changes of use, increased development density, lease extensions and renewals, property subdivisions and amalgamations, demolitions, building works and certificates of occupation. The court had directed that approvals issued after the 12-month compliance deadline would be null and void if the county failed to meet its obligations.
The petition was filed by Kamalkumar Rajinkant Sangahani, Jags Kaur and Teddy Obiero on behalf of the Parklands Residents Association against the Nairobi City County Government and other parties involved in planning, land administration and environmental regulation.