Stakeholders call for overhaul of city urban planning docket

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Various stakeholders within the built environment in Nairobi County, among them engineers, residents and community leaders, have weighed in on the recent activities at the City Hall, including the arrest of Development and Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo. 

The Chief Officer was arrested on Thursday by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption detectives after a raid at his Syokimau home, where Sh65.3 million was recovered in cash. 

According to EACC, the raid and arrest of the officer were part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and economic crimes within the Nairobi City County. 

On Friday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja suspended Analo and ordered the reconstitution of the Urban Planning Technical Committee, the body responsible for processing development approvals. He also proposed the inclusion of an EACC liaison officer to strengthen oversight and public accountability. 

In response, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) said the latest move to clean up the department could bring sanity in the city. 

“We are happy about the new developments because we have been vocal about it. We can now see action being taken. Urban Planning has been a total mess,” said IEK president Shammah Kiteme. “Some people were deliberately jamming systems used for applications to force physical meetings and demand bribes.” 

On the building that collapsed in South C estate, killing two people in January, Kiteme said there were a lot of irregularities, including skipping approval procedures. 

Some staff at City Hall have equally called for a total overhaul at Development and Urban Planning, adding that suspending Analo alone is not enough. “Sakaja’s decision to suspend Analo, dismantle the Urban Planning Technical Committee and freeze routine approvals pending reforms is an acknowledgement that the problem may be systemic rather than isolated,” a source at City Hall said.  

Longstanding concerns

Francis Mulama, an engineer who served at the department during the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), said the arrest of Analo could mark the beginning of broader reforms to address longstanding concerns around irregular development approvals. 

He said the move could address weak enforcement of planning regulations, inadequate public participation, and governance failures within the planning system. “The actions suggest Nairobi is entering a new era in urban governance.” 

Kenya Alliance of Residents Association demanded a full implementation of the Ombudsman’s recommendations, a comprehensive audit of development approvals, enhanced transparency in planning processes and firm action against culpable parties. 

In February, an investigation report released said that owing to such activities, the lives of Nairobi residents have been put at risk. 

Thus, the Ombudsman urged the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate legal proceedings against officials for facilitating unlawful development. Those mentioned in the report are former Urban Planning CEC Stephen Mwangi, Analo and Assistant Director, Development Control, Fredrick Ochanda. 

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