Key Takeaways:

  • The Proposal: A private developer plans to build a 25-storey residential tower featuring 464 apartments and 284 parking spaces along Ring Road in Westlands, Nairobi.
  • Public Participation: The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) published a Gazette notice on Friday, November 6, giving the public 30 days to submit feedback.
  • Heightened Scrutiny: The application comes just weeks after a fatal 18-storey building collapse in Eastleigh sparked nationwide concerns over construction approvals and safety compliance.

According to an official Kenya Gazette notice published on Friday, November 6, the authority has received an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study report for the high-rise project. If approved, the complex will comprise 464 residential apartments alongside recreational amenities, adding to the rapid vertical expansion of Nairobi’s commercial and residential hub.

What Is Included in the Proposed Development?

The proposed residential tower, submitted by a private limited company, is designed to maximize urban density along one of Westlands’ busiest corridors. According to the architectural and environmental filings, the building will rise 25 floors above a ground floor and two basement levels.

The 464 housing units and accompanying facilities will be distributed as follows:

  • 243 one-bedroom apartments
  • 154 two-bedroom apartments
  • 66 three-bedroom apartments
  • 1 luxury penthouse
  • 284 dedicated parking spaces across the lower levels
  • Shared Amenities: Swimming pools, landscaped gardens, designated children’s play areas, and communal sitting spaces.

Environmental Concerns and Proposed Measures

Before granting an EIA licence, NEMA evaluates how large-scale construction projects will affect surrounding communities, local infrastructure, and the immediate ecosystem. In its review of the Ring Road proposal, the environmental regulator flagged several potential hazards during both the construction and operational phases.

A high-rise construction site in Brookside, Westlands, covered in green protective construction netting, following reports of falling scaffolding and safety concerns.

Key concerns identified include soil erosion, dust emissions, noise pollution, fire hazards, and worsening traffic congestion along Ring Road.

To address these risks, the developer has outlined a series of environmental and public safety interventions in the report:

  • Traffic and Noise Management: Deploying dedicated traffic marshals to ease congestion along Ring Road and installing sound barriers to limit noise pollution during construction.
  • Air Quality and Waste: Implementing regular water sprinkling to suppress dust emissions and establishing structured waste disposal protocols.
  • Safety and Sustainability: Equipping the tower with modern fire detection systems, 24-hour CCTV surveillance, security lighting, rainwater harvesting infrastructure, and supplemental water storage tanks.

How to Submit Public Comments to NEMA

Under Kenya’s Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA), public participation is a mandatory step before NEMA approves major urban developments. Residents, business owners, and environmental groups in Westlands have 30 days from November 6 (until December 6) to review the EIA report and share their feedback.

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“The National Environmental Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision-making process for this project,” the official Gazette notice stated.

Submissions can be delivered in writing to the Director General’s office or submitted through NEMA’s official public participation channels to help determine whether the project receives conditional approval, requires redesign, or is rejected.

High-Rise Construction Under Scrutiny

NEMA’s call for public input comes at a time of intense regulatory and public scrutiny over Nairobi’s high-rise construction boom. Confidence in building oversight was severely shaken following the collapse of an 18-storey building along 9th Street in Eastleigh on October 23.

Excavators and emergency response teams clearing concrete rubble at the site of the collapsed residential building in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

The Eastleigh tragedy left eight people dead, while four survivors were pulled from the rubble and three others were officially listed as missing when search and rescue operations concluded.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, government agencies moved to tighten oversight:

  • Public Health Inspections: A day after the collapse, the Ministry of Health directed public health officers nationwide to inspect active construction sites and immediately report occupational and structural hazards.
  • Approval Irregularities: Investigations into the Eastleigh site exposed major regulatory lapses. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed that while a change-of-use application had been granted in October 2024, the developer had never received final building plan approvals from the county.
  • Missing Licences: The National Construction Authority (NCA) stated that the project had been registered in July 2025, though emerging reports suggested records were uploaded to its portal after the building fell. Furthermore, investigators found that the ill-fated structure had proceeded without a valid NEMA environmental licence.

As a result, residents and urban planners are closely watching how NEMA and Nairobi County handle new high-rise applications like the 25-storey Ring Road tower to ensure strict compliance with zoning laws, infrastructure capacity, and structural safety standards.