In its Sub‑Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening Report released on 29 October, the World Bank urged governments to remove overly stringent building‑height limits and floor‑area ratios to boost housing supply in major cities across the region.

The lender argues that restrictive construction rules cause cities such as Nairobi to expand outward instead of making better use of available land, limiting residents’ ability to live near workplaces.

Kenya’s Physical and Land Use Planning (Building) Regulations 2021 require developers to obtain approved plans and comply with zoning requirements before commencing construction works.

Under Nairobi’s 2026 Development Control Policy, the maximum building height is set at 75 floors in the Central Business District and Upper Hill, while areas such as Ngara, Eastleigh, Pangani, Thika Road, Valley Road and Milinani are capped at 20 floors.

The height limits in the 2026 Development Control Policy have been challenged in court by some Nairobi residents, and the Supreme Court has yet to determine the policy’s legal effect.

The World Bank clarified that its proposal does not call for the removal of all existing building rules, but for a relaxation of “excessively stringent” height and floor‑area limits in zones earmarked for integrated, area‑based urban development.