The Nairobi City County Government has issued a final 14-day ultimatum to property owners, tenants, and management agents to repaint and clean their buildings or face tough penalties, including closure and prosecution.
In a directive signed by Acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali, the county emphasized that all premises within the Central Business District (CBD), Westlands, Upper Hill, Ngara, Kirinyaga Road, and all designated shopping centers must immediately undergo repainting and general sanitation to meet public health and housing standards.
The move, anchored on the Public Health Act (Cap 242) and the Physical and Land Use Planning Act (2019), is aimed at restoring the city’s aesthetic appeal while safeguarding public health.
“This notice takes effect immediately and remains valid for fourteen days only. Failure to comply will result in statutory closure orders and prosecution in line with Sections 115, 118, and 126 of the Public Health Act,” the notice read.
To ease compliance, City Hall announced that the ordinary fees for repainting permits have been waived for this period.
Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration is pushing to clean up and modernize the capital, with authorities warning that no excuses or delays will be tolerated.
Meanwhile, as Nairobi joins the world in celebrating Customer Service Week, Sakaja highlighted the transformative progress his administration has made in establishing and strengthening the Customer Service and Public Participation department introduced just two and a half years ago.
Sakaja said the departments have become crucial in ensuring that Nairobi residents are heard, served efficiently, and involved in the county’s decision-making process.
“Customer service is an integral part of any institution or business. Nairobi is a service county, and in fact, it was long overdue to have such a department,If you have an issue touching on business, payments, or county services, there’s now a structured place to be assisted,” Sakaja said.
He said with over 7 million people in Nairobi during the day and about 5 million at night, there was an urgent need for a central system to handle the city’s growing service demands.
On public participation, Sakaja emphasized that it is not just a constitutional process but a guiding principle of good governance.
“Before you do anything, carry people along,We never used to have a Public Participation Department or even dedicated officers. Yet, for any project to succeed, citizens must be engaged. We created this department, and now Nairobi has held some of the largest and most frequent public participation forums ever. People feel recognized by their government,” he said.
To enhance customer experience, the County Government has renovated an entire wing of City Hall Annex, transforming it into a modern customer service center.
“People now have a comfortable space to visit, and more officers are available to listen to their issues. It’s far better than it was,” Sakaja remarked.
In addition, several Customer Service Centre have been established across the city including Ruai, Starehe, and other areas to bring services closer to the people.
Sakaja also lauded the automation of county services, which allows Nairobians to access and pay for services online through the NairobiPay platform.
“Today, customers can log in, choose the service they want, make payment, and even print licenses from the comfort of their homes,This has drastically reduced the long queues that used to be seen at City Hall.”
To further simplify business operations, the county introduced the Unified Business License, allowing business owners to pay for a single license that consolidates all other permits.
“This reform has made doing business in Nairobi easier, faster, and more transparent,” he added.
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