Counties on the spot over lack of urban plans, poor development

Nairobi River over flow due to flood in Mathare 4A Slums on May 11, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] The lack of urban plans for most town centres in Kenya has been linked to development challenges such as unregulated structures, according to a new report that lists poor planning as a top issue. The report by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) gives an overview of the built environment in 2024 and shows that just 20 per cent out of 911 existing centres have had requisite approvals. The built environment refers to the man-made or modified surroundings where people live, work, and engage in recreational activities, including buildings, cities, roads, parks, and urban spaces. The Status of Built Environment report says over a decade into devolution, counties are yet to formulate and implement urban land use plans comprehensively. These plans are crucial to mitigating challenges arising from unplanned development. It explains why poor planning and uncontrolled development top the list of challenges facing the built environment. These views were collected by AAK in partnership with the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) from respondents across 19 counties among them Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Bomet, Kakamega, Kajiado, and Laikipia. "Poor planning and uncontrolled development were identified as the root causes of many challenges. Respondents criticised the proliferation of haphazard high-rise development without supporting infrastructure, leaning to obstructed natural light, breaches of zoning guidelines and invasion of privacy," the report says. According to the report, 85 per cent of the 957 respondents indicated that there are not enough green spaces, parks or recreational areas in their neighbourhoods further highlighting the negative impacts of unregulated development. "Environment impacts were another significant concern, with illegal construction on wetlands, playgrounds, public land, and green spaces and dumping of debris into riparian reserves and green spaces," the report says. This was reported in South C, Karen, Kangemi and Oshwal Academy in Mombasa. These challenges exist due to a lack of urban plans and inadequate funding for their implementation by the counties. AAK notes the County Governments Act (2012) mandates counties to allocate at least 30 per cent of their annual budgets to development expenditures. "However, several counties especially within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area (Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Murang'a, and Machakos) and city counties (Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu), fall short of the mandated 30 per cent allocation to development expenditure, raising concerns about their preparedness to address urbanization pressures and future infrastructure demands," the report says. Spatial plans The lobby urges counties to urgently realign their priorities to focus on long-term planning and development investments to secure sustainable urban futures. "The absence of comprehensive County Spatial Plans and other levels of plans significantly hampers counties' ability to manage land use effectively, prepare for urbanisation, and address pressing environmental concerns. This gap also affects compliance with other legal frameworks such as the National Building Code, 2024, which relies on zoning for health and safety standards, pollution control, and green building initiatives," the report says. It adds: "Furthermore, the lack of updated plans jeopardises strategic infrastructure investments and undermines sustainable development efforts." The report states that out of 911 urban centres, only 182 (20 per cent) have approved plans. The rest - 368 - are in the process of preparing the same. "Alarmingly, nearly 50 per cent of urban areas remain unplanned, and 15 per cent operate under obsolete plans," the report says. The absence of up-to-date urban plans, says AAK, has resulted in widespread issues, including urban encroachment, overstretching of existing infrastructure, and environmental degradation. "In most counties, infrastructure remains dilapidated, further compounding the challenges of accommodating rapid urban growth. Effective urban land use planning is no longer optional-it is critical to ensuring sustainable resource management and addressing the socio-economic needs of urban populations," the report says. As of 2024, 32 per cent of counties (15 counties) have approved County Spatial Plans (CSPs) and are at various stages of implementation. These include Lamu, Makueni, Baringo, Kericho, Bomet, Kilifi, Kwale, Narok, Nakuru, Kajiado, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Bungoma. An additional 26 per cent (12) have completed drafting their CSPs and are pending County Assembly approval. These counties include Migori, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Samburu, Laikipia, Nandi, Murang'a and Nyeri. Meanwhile, Tharaka Nithi is at the situational analysis stage, and the remaining 40 per cent (19) are still in the early stages of CSP preparation. Notably, Nairobi and Mombasa are required to prepare comprehensive integrated city plans due to their status as Kenya's primary urban centres. "Although there has been an improvement compared to 2023 when 53 per cent of counties had not initiated CSP preparation, the slow uptake of county planning highlights persistent challenges in meeting the planning mandates," the report says.

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