Anyone seeking to construct a house or any building in Kajiado County will have to seek approval from the county's labour union and the Residents Association before their plan is authorised by the Kajiado County government.
This follows the Ministry of Lands in the county signing an agreement contract with the Labour Union and the Residents Association to guide house and building construction in the county.
This means that, before any development is done in Kajiado County, the Resident's Association must give a no-objection letter in line with the zoning and special planning to ensure all buildings are safe for residing and working in.
Among the laws the county will be considering before issuing the approval letter are the location of the building, its proximity to the road, its height, and other regulations.
"There are some areas where they don't allow maisonettes; they only allow bungalows. These are the simple, basic things that developers are required to look into," the Minister continued.
According to the county's Land Minister Hamilton Parseina, the move aims to restrain building heights, ensure safety, and promote the proper use of county land.
The signed MoU now gives the labour union new powers through its chairman to regulate buildings.
"The recent associations are there to create by-laws, and the by-laws specify what kind of structures need to be put up," Parseina explained.
Furthermore, the Ministry has revealed that it will tighten the rules to ensure that buildings are only constructed on designated land, not on conservation land. "If an area is set aside for conservation, then you cannot do anything that is not complementary to what is required."
According to the county, constructors will not be allowed to put up industrial buildings in residential areas. Constructors have been directed to follow the county's special plan, zoning plans, and minimum subdivision guidelines before beginning construction.
Apart from restricting buildings, the agreement also aims to control the rapid growth of slums and improve waste disposal in Kitengela, Rongai, Ngong, and other towns sprouting in Kajiado County.
The county has revealed that it has become a victim of the population pressure in Nairobi County, which is forcing people to settle in Kajiado, encouraging the growth of slums.
"As the Residents Association, we can no longer complain. The developments that sprout overnight will now come to an end. We have been given the responsibility to ensure that anybody developing in the neighbourhood aligns with the tools and instruments developed by our county," Persimei Gitau, the chairman of the Residents Association, revealed.
