Building height limits near JKIA and Wilson Airport
Around every aerodrome there is an invisible ceiling. Nothing on the ground — a building, a mast, a crane, a tree — may reach it without the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority's consent. Over much of Nairobi that ceiling, not the zoning, is what decides how tall a building can be. This page explains where the ceilings are, how high they sit, and how to read them for a plot.
What sets the limit
ICAO Annex 14 defines a set of Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) around each runway: sloping and flat planes in the air, fixed at altitudes above sea level, that protect aircraft as they land, take off and circle. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) applies them. A proposal that would reach a surface has to be referred to KCAA before it can be approved.
The surfaces are altitudes, not heights. Zoning gives a number of storeys counted up from the ground; a surface gives a level above sea level that stays put while the ground rises and falls under it. To turn one into the other, subtract the ground level at the plot from the altitude of the lowest surface above it. Where the two rules disagree, the lower ceiling governs.
The surfaces, in order of how often they bind
Inner horizontal
A flat ceiling 45 m above the aerodrome's elevation, over an oval of about 4 km around the runways. At JKIA it is 1,654 m; at Wilson 1,724 m. Because it is flat and close in, it is the surface most plots near an aerodrome meet first.
Conical
Rises outward from the edge of the inner horizontal at 1 in 20 (5%): by 100 m at JKIA, to 1,754 m, and by 75 m at Wilson, to 1,799 m. It covers the city centre for Wilson.
Approach
A funnel in line with each runway end, rising away from it. At JKIA it climbs 150 m over its first 6.6 km (2%, then 2.5%) and runs level to 15 km out. Wilson's approaches rise 100 m over 3 km (3.33%).
Take-off climb
A funnel beyond each runway end for departures, rising at 2% for 15 km — 300 m above the runway at its far end.
Transitional
Steep sides (1 in 7 at JKIA) climbing from the runway strip up to the inner horizontal. They matter for plots right beside the airfield.
Outer horizontal
JKIA only: a flat ceiling at 1,775 m reaching about 15 km from the airport. It is the surface over Westlands and most of the north of the city as far as JKIA is concerned.
The aerodromes that affect Nairobi
| Aerodrome | Runways | Inner horizontal | Conical top | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JKIA (HKJK) | 06 / 24 | 1,654 m | 1,754 m | 15 km, +150 m |
| JKIA proposed 2nd runway | 05R / 23L | 1,650 m | 1,750 m | 15 km, +150 m |
| Wilson (HKNW) | 07 / 25, 14 / 32 | 1,724 m | 1,799 m | 3 km, +100 m |
| Eastleigh (HKRE) | 06 / 24, 14 / 32 | 1,682–1,685 m | 1,785 m | 2.5–3 km |
| Northlands (HKNR) | 11 / 29 | 1,555 m | 1,630 m | 3 km, +100 m |
Altitudes are metres above mean sea level, as surveyed in the OLS datasets on Nairobi Maps. Where an aerodrome has two runways, each has its own approach and take-off surfaces.
What that means across the city
The lowest surface over one point in each area, set against the ground there. Ground heights come from a terrain model rather than a survey, and change street by street, so treat the last column as an indication of scale, not an answer for any particular plot.
| Area | Lowest surface | Surface | Ground | Room to the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Hill | Wilson inner horizontal | 1,724 m | ~1,717 m | ~7 m |
| Embakasi | JKIA inner horizontal | 1,654 m | ~1,630 m | ~23 m |
| CBD (Kenyatta Avenue) | Wilson conical | 1,725 m | ~1,673 m | ~52 m |
| South C | Wilson inner horizontal | 1,724 m | ~1,659 m | ~65 m |
| Westlands | JKIA outer horizontal | 1,775 m | ~1,700 m | ~75 m |
| Industrial Area | Wilson conical | 1,729 m | ~1,645 m | ~84 m |
| Kilimani (Yaya Centre) | Wilson conical | 1,724 m | ~1,757 m | ground above by ~33 m |
| Langata | Wilson conical | 1,734 m | ~1,783 m | ground above by ~49 m |
Where the ground already reaches the surfaces
Wilson sits in a bowl. The ridge to its west and north-west — Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Lavington, Langata — rises above its conical surface, so on the terrain model about 27 km² of ground stands at or above one of Wilson's surfaces, by as much as 80 m. JKIA, on the flat plains to the east, has almost none (about 0.4 km²).
How to check a plot on Nairobi Maps
- Open the 3D view and pick an aerodrome in the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces panel. Every surface is drawn at its real altitude, with a height line every 10 m.
- Switch on the height-limit map. The ground is coloured by the room left under the lowest surface: red where the ground already reaches it, then orange, yellow and green as the room grows.
- Point at the plot. The panel names the surface that sets the limit there, its altitude, the ground height and the room left, in metres and in storeys.
- Compare with the zoning. Click the parcel for its DC Policy 2026 zone and permitted floors. The lower of the two is the one to plan to — and if the building would come near a surface, KCAA is the authority to ask.
The 3D view is part of the Platinum plan — see pricing. Each airport’s surfaces are a map layer sold on its own, on any plan, and yours for good once bought. The surfaces also appear in plan, as outlines on the 2D map, in the Aviation layer group. Applying for building plans near an airport? See building plan approval in Nairobi for everything to check before the plans go in.
Questions
How high can I build near JKIA?
Close in, the binding surface is usually the inner horizontal at 1,654 m above sea level. Around Embakasi the ground is near 1,630 m, which leaves roughly 20–25 m. Further out the conical surface rises to 1,754 m and the outer horizontal sits at 1,775 m. In line with the runway, the approach and take-off surfaces start at runway level and rise slowly, so plots under them can be far more restricted.
How high can I build near Wilson Airport?
Wilson's inner horizontal surface is at 1,724 m and its conical rises to 1,799 m. Because the ground around Wilson is high, the room is often small: about 7 m at one point in Upper Hill, and in parts of Kilimani and Langata the ground is already above the surface. Check the specific plot, and expect a KCAA referral anywhere near a surface.
Does zoning or the airport limit win?
Whichever is lower. The DC Policy 2026 zone gives a number of storeys; the obstacle limitation surface gives an altitude. Convert the altitude to a height by subtracting the ground level, and plan to the smaller of the two.
Who approves buildings near an airport in Kenya?
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) assesses anything that would reach an obstacle limitation surface, alongside the county's own development approval. Nairobi Maps shows where the surfaces are; it does not grant or refuse clearance.