Developers seeking to put up buildings in Kajiado County will now have to seek approval from the Kajiado County Alliance of Residents Associations (K-CARA).
This is after the association and the County Government of Kajiado signed a Memorandum of Engagement (MOE) permitting them to issue Letters of “No Objection” to developers before the County approves any building plans within their jurisdictions.
The MOE grants K-CARA a legal framework to monitor illegal and unauthorised structures, curbing the cropping up of informal settlements in urban areas.
Lands and Physical Planning County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Hamilton Parseina said municipalities within Kajiado County are facing expansion threats as a result of population expulsion within the Nairobi metropolis, which will result in the mushrooming of slums if left unchecked.
Parseina said the Kajiado Spatial Plan spells out areas set aside for various uses such as farming, wildlife, livestock, industries and settlement, and the residents’ associations are critical in identifying rogue developers who put up structures in the wrong places.
“The county spatial plan outlines areas set aside for various uses such as industries, livestock, wildlife and so on. If an area is set aside for residential purposes, you cannot come and set up an industry there,” he said.
The CECM reiterated that the privilege granted to residents’ associations is anchored in the 2010 Constitution and respective County Assembly laws.
Parsimei Gitau, Kajiado County Alliance of Residents Associations Chairperson, said the associations will ensure the development planning considers the needs of local economies and industries as drivers of livable towns and sustainable development.
Gitau emphasised the need for proper planning in urban areas due to limited public amenities, adding that growth in urban areas must be regulated and planned to ensure proper use of infrastructure such as water and sewerage.
“We have had many buildings cropping up illegally but as residents, we now have the responsibility to ensure that anybody developing within our neighbourhood aligns with the tools and instruments of development outlined by the county,” he said.
Kajiado County Attorney Augustine Sekeyian, on his part, said all associations under K-CARA must be registered and meet the requisite legal requirements in compliance with the county spatial plan.
By Rop Janet
