Nairobi opens 21-day public comment on new Westlands zoning plan
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Nairobi City County has invited written comments on a proposed Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan for the Westlands Zone, with submissions due by November 16, 2026, days after the Eastleigh building collapse renewed scrutiny of approvals.
Nairobi City County Government has given notice of its intention to prepare a Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan for the Westlands Zone, inviting members of the public to submit written comments within 21 days and no later than November 16, 2026.
The public notice, dated October 26, 2026 and issued under section 47 of the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, states that the county intends to commence preparation of the plan. The planning area is defined by Waiyaki Way, the boundary with Kiambu County, the Gatharuru River, Karura Forest, the Mathare River, Thika Road, Murang'a Road and Prof Wangari Maathai Road, and also includes sections defined by the Kirichwa River and specified geographical coordinates.
According to the notice, the plan is intended to provide a sustainable and comprehensive development framework to guide growth and land-use management in the zone. Its objectives include identifying development challenges and the measures to address them, identifying infrastructure gaps that need to be closed to support development and service delivery, and establishing clear zoning guidelines to manage development trends and promote a sustainable urban form.
The county also intends to safeguard heritage, cultural and environmental assets in line with relevant laws, align the framework with county, metropolitan and national development plans, and secure stakeholder participation in the process.
The notice comes days after an 18-storey building under construction on 9th Street in Eastleigh collapsed on Friday, October 23, 2026, renewing questions about high-density development, approvals and enforcement in the capital. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said 67 construction workers were at the site when it collapsed, with 66 escaping uninjured and one injured and in stable condition.
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county approved a change of use from residential to commercial-cum-residential on October 17, 2024, but did not approve the architectural plans needed to authorise construction. He said architect Emmanuel Mwangi Maina submitted the plans on November 20, 2024, but the county did not approve them. The developer on record was John Mutia Musyoki, while the National Construction Authority identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer and Stromax Holdings E.A. Limited as the contractor.
Written submissions on the Westlands plan should be addressed to the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Nairobi City County Government, P.O. Box 30075-00100, Nairobi.