- KIWANA has asked Senator Edwin Sifuna to reject the Nairobi County Development Policy 2026 and table its petition in the Senate.
- Residents say the policy lacks adequate public participation and could encourage unchecked high rise developments.
- The association wants sustainable development guided by proper planning and public consultation.
The Kileleshwa Ward Neighbourhood Association (KIWANA) has petitioned Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to reject the Nairobi County Development Policy 2026 in the Senate.
The association, led by Chairman Vincent Ombaka, presented the petition alongside residents of Kileleshwa. They are urging the senator to table the matter before the Senate for formal consideration.
KIWANA argues that the policy could reshape Nairobi’s future planning and development. However, the group says its main concern is public participation. Residents, stakeholders and other Nairobians are now being encouraged to review the proposal and take part in the ongoing conversation.
A long running planning dispute
The petition builds on months of activism by KIWANA against what it calls unchecked high rise construction in Kileleshwa. The association has repeatedly warned that rapid densification is outpacing the ward’s roads, water and drainage systems.
A community survey the group conducted in May found unanimous opposition among respondents to what they termed hyper densification. None of those surveyed supported proposals allowing buildings of up to 30 store’s in the area.
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Because of this, KIWANA has proposed several safeguards. These include maintaining a 75 per cent ground coverage limit, mandatory green spaces and stronger protections for family oriented residential zones.
Court ruling at the centre of the fight
KIWANA has leaned heavily on a Court of Appeal judgment delivered in September 2025 in Civil Appeal No. E160 of 2025. The case pitted residents’ associations against the Nairobi City County Government over urban planning regulations.
The ruling directed the county to gazette a development control policy and local physical development plans under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act. It also granted residents’ associations formal standing to participate in planning oversight.
Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration gazetted the Development Control Policy 2026 in July, following that court directive. The county says the framework will guide building approvals through defined zoning rules, height limits and infrastructure requirements.
Yet KIWANA and the allied Metro Alliance group have separately accused the county of failing to comply with the court’s earlier timelines. This has already triggered contempt proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
What residents want next
KIWANA insists it is not opposed to development itself. Instead, it says it wants growth that is lawful, sustainable and properly consulted with residents.
The association has invited developers, planners and public institutions into dialogue rather than confrontation. It maintains that it rejects violence or intimidation as tactics in the dispute.
For now, attention turns to whether Senator Sifuna will table the petition before the Senate, and how the county government will respond.
By Benedict Aoya
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