Landlords in Nairobi County have been given a two-day ultimatum to repaint their buildings or face penalties, the county government has announced.
According to City Hall, the target date comes ahead of a major inspection drive scheduled to begin on Monday, targeting property owners who failed to comply with the earlier 14-day notice issued last month.
Health County Executive Suzanne Silantoi said officers from her department will move across the capital to ensure all buildings meet public health and aesthetic standards set under the county’s urban renewal plan.
“From Monday, our officers will commence compliance checks on all buildings, both those that have been repainted and those that have not. We issued a 14-day ultimatum, and while many have responded positively, a number are still lagging,” Silantoi stated.
Affected Businesses
According to Nairobi County, the directive will apply to property owners, management companies, and tenants across key commercial and residential zones, including the Central Business District, Westlands, Upper Hill, Ngara, Kirinyaga Road, and other busy hubs.
At the same time, buildings found in violation of the directive will face penalties such as statutory closure, fines or prosecution, with the county insisting that the exercise aims to improve Nairobi’s image and safeguard public health.
Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja, had initially waived repainting permit fees to encourage compliance, citing economic challenges faced by landlords and businesses.
This is all part of the governor's push to clean up and modernise the capital, with authorities warning that no excuses or delays will be tolerated.
Under Section 118(b) of the Public Health Act (Cap 242), devolved units have been mandated to ensure that buildings with deteriorating paint do not pose health risks to the public.
Landlords who fail to comply with the repainting directive risk closure of their premises or prosecution under the act. The county may also suspend occupancy and business permits for buildings that fail to meet the required maintenance standards.
City Hall has warned that repeat offenders could face additional fines or surcharges for every day they remain non-compliant, as part of efforts to enforce hygiene and restore Nairobi’s image as a clean and modern capital.
Therefore, this move is part of a citywide cleaning exercise which has, so far, included orders requiring hawkers to vacate some of the CBD streets and business owners in the CBD to keep their premises clean and avoid loud systems disrupting the public, among others.
The repainting directive was first issued in October, but compliance proved difficult due to the short rains that made painting works impractical. As a result, the county government granted landlords an additional grace period to complete the exercise.
