The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) strongly supports the findings and recommendations of the Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) on construction irregularities and governance failures within Nairobi City County.
The Ombudsman’s report validates what residents across Nairobi have raised repeatedly over the years: that illegal developments are routinely approved, enforcement notices are ignored, and public officers charged with protecting the public interest instead facilitate or tolerate violations of planning and building laws.
KARA notes with grave concern that the report exposes not isolated mistakes, but systemic and deliberate misconduct involving senior county officials, technical officers, and compromised approval processes. Developments have been allowed to proceed in blatant violation of the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, zoning controls, and stop orders—undermining residents’ rights to safety, privacy, light, ventilation, and quiet enjoyment of property.
Of particular alarm is the documented failure by Nairobi City County to enforce its own enforcement notices and revocation orders. When illegal construction continues unchecked, despite clear regulatory action, it signals a collapse of accountability and an erosion of public trust in urban governance.
KARA fully supports the Ombudsman’s recommendations for criminal prosecution and disciplinary action against culpable public officers, compensation for affected property owners, and comprehensive institutional reforms within the county’s planning and development control systems. These actions are not optional – they are necessary to restore integrity, legality, and fairness in Nairobi’s urban development.
We call upon the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Nairobi City County Assembly, and the County Public Service Board to act decisively and without delay. Failure to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendations will only entrench impunity and confirm Resident Associations fears that unlawful development carries no real consequences.
KARA further urges professional regulatory bodies to take firm action against practitioners who submit non-compliant or misleading plans. Professional accreditation must not be used as a shield for unethical conduct.
We call upon the Ombudsman to use every legal avenue to ensure that its recommendations are fully impllented.
For residents across various neighbourhoods, this is not a technical planning dispute. It is about safety in our neighbourhoods, dignity in our homes, and justice in how cities grow. Development that ignores the law is not progress – it is dispossession. Let us continue being vigilant and pushing back against uncontrolled and illegal developments.
KARA remains committed to engaging oversight institutions, and pursuing civic action to ensure that this report leads to real accountability and lasting reform.
Henry Ochieng
Chief Executive Officer
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA)