Thome estate residents protest new highrise property developments
Real Estate
By
James Wanzala
| Dec 25, 2025
Residents of Thome V Estate located off Thika Superhighway last Monday demonstrated over the increasing highrise buildings in their estate.
They said the estate is a low density and controlled development one, where highrise developments are not allowed.
“This area is actually zoned as a low-density area, and it has plots that are half an acre in size and the only structures that are allowed in here is a single dwelling unit. That is a family dwelling unit, and at the most, a servant quarter. So, anything beyond that is obviously illegal,” said Thome V Residents Welfare Association chairman Daniel Kibira.
Kibira addressed the media at the estate after the residents held a peaceful protest against the construction.
He added: “And basically what has happened of late, we have had quite a lot of developers coming here and want to develop high-rise developments.”
Kibira explained that from the Thika Road, we have two rows where we have flats, and that is where flats and high-rise buildings are allowed.
“So beyond that, which is the third, fourth, fifth, we have a different number of rows in different areas. That is not allowed. So, what has happened is that a developer has come into the area and started to construct. But unfortunately, this is something that has been done irregularly.”
A drive through the estate shows two apartment buildings, one near Thome Police Post and whose construction is ongoing now at three floors and another about five floors, located few meters ahead of the post that is nearing completion.
After the residents had finished the press briefing, two police officers from the station came, one armed and demanded that everyone disperses, threatening to shoot the residents and media.
After the residents jeered them, they went back to the post and came all armed with guns and teargas to disperse them, blaming them for demonstrating without a permit.
The residents blamed the owner of the building near the police post of getting approvals to construct the apartment through backdoor and without public participation.
“As you may know, if you are going to make any development, first of all you have to apply to the county to give you an approval. And if you want to do a development that is beyond the zoning criteria in that area, then you have to get a change of user permit,” said Kibira.
He added: “So they claim they have a change of user, which we have actually seen, but what we know is it was obtained irregularly. This is because before you get it you’re supposed to conduct public participation, put a notice at the site to last for 14 days, so that the members of the area where that development is proposed are able to see that and are given opportunity to make their objections directly to the county authorities.”
This, he said did not happen, only for them to see the developer start building a boundary wall, and whena sked said they are building a residential estate.
According to residents, most of who are retirees, the developer organised a shambolic public participation two to three weeks later, which was attended by people who are non-resident individuals hired from outside.
They said they have written several letters to National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA) but it has not been of help to them and it seems they gave the developer approval.
“We have written three letters to NEMA and only got one email reply, sending us the details of the application, but beyond that, nothing else from them and from the county we haven't heard anything,” he said.
“We are still waiting for these authorities to take action. We have even written to the Nairobi County authorities about the change of user and the development approvals but haven't heard from them,” said Kibira.
He added: “So that's basically where we are and we seem to be at the mercy of the authorities. We are requesting that they take up the matter and tell us how we are going to address this issue.”
The residents, said allowing the apartments to be constructed will lead to lack of privacy, interrupted sunshine and light to their low houses.
Others, they said are a strain on access and provision of facilities that are provided in that area, electricity, sewage, roads, drainage, security and water, which they hardly have enough, now only getting it once per week.
According to Prudential Gaitera, who has been living there since 1986, they have done a lot of work to develop the estate including roads and they feel frustrated.
“When you put up a home and you are already in retirement and someone wants to come and put up a highrise, where you can no longer feel comfortable to live in is very frustrating situation,” said Gaitera.
Maurice Makori, a youth resident who has been living in the estate since 2000, called upon Nairobi County Senator Ediwn Sifuna to intervene and help them to know what the threshold of public participation is and what it entails.