Karen planning area · DC Policy 2026

Karen Triangle zoning

Karen Triangle is a planning zone in the Karen area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for mixed use use. A building here can have up to 4 floors and cover up to 50% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 200% of the plot's area. The smallest plot allowed is 0.2 ha (2,000 m²).

Figures from the Nairobi City County Development Control Policy 2026, as mapped by Nairobi Maps. Updated 2026-10-24.

4Most floorsThe highest a building may go here

50%Ground coverageHow much of the plot a building may stand on

200%Plot ratioFloor space of all floors, as a share of the plot (FAR 2)

0.2 haSmallest plot2,000 m² — land cannot be split smaller

See Karen Triangle on the map All Nairobi zones

What the figures mean for a plot

The footprint is the plot's area times the ground coverage. The floor space is the plot's area times the plot ratio — unless the floors run out first. For example:

Plot size	Area	Most floors	Largest footprint	Most floor space
0.05 ha	500 m²	4	250 m²	1,000 m²	Below this zone’s smallest plot
0.1 ha	1,000 m²	4	500 m²	2,000 m²	Below this zone’s smallest plot
0.2 ha	2,000 m²	4	1,000 m²	4,000 m²
0.21 ha	2,100 m²	4	1,050 m²	4,200 m²	A typical plot here
0.25 ha	2,500 m²	4	1,250 m²	5,000 m²

Read the way the Nairobi Maps map reads the policy. Across Nairobi, a plot smaller than 0.05 ha (500 m²) can hold only one home. For your exact plot, open it on the map: Nairobi Maps works the figures out for that plot.

What the policy says about Karen Triangle

Infrastructure: To secure approvals for commensurate expansion of sewer, water, electricity, roads by utility providers prior to commencement of densification. Privately developed infrastructure is also encouraged upon approval

Quoted from the policy. These rules can change the figures above for particular plots — for example by plot size or for plots facing a named road.

Plots in Karen Triangle

We count 203 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.21 ha (2,100 m²); the middle half are between 0.198 and 0.489 ha.

Where Karen Triangle is

The zone covers about 1.8 km² across one ward.

Karen ward · 100%

Zones next to Karen Triangle

Building or changing the use here?

Applications go to Nairobi City County on NPDMS. How planning approval works in Nairobi, which approval you need, and what to check on the plot first. Many projects also need NEMA’s environmental licence: NEMA licences in Nairobi.

Questions about Karen Triangle

How many floors can I build in Karen Triangle?

Up to 4 floors under the Nairobi Development Control Policy 2026. The zone's own rules can change the number for particular plots, so check your exact plot on the Nairobi Maps map.

What is the minimum plot size in Karen Triangle?

0.2 hectares, which is 2,000 square metres. Land in this zone cannot be split into plots smaller than that. Across Nairobi, a plot under 0.05 ha can hold only one home.

What is the plot ratio in Karen Triangle?

200%. All floors together can add up to 200% of the plot's area — for example 2,000 m² of floor space on a 1,000 m² plot. The ground coverage is 50%, so the building can stand on up to 500 m² of that plot.

Which wards does the Karen Triangle zone cover?

Karen ward, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.

How do I get approval to build in Karen Triangle?

Building plans are submitted to Nairobi City County through its online planning system, NPDMS, by a registered architect and engineer, and they must keep within this zone’s limits set out above. If the use you want is not one the zone allows, a change of use comes first. Check your plot on the Nairobi Maps map before the drawings are made.

This page describes the policy, not a decision. Nairobi City County decides every application. Check a plot's registered details with an official search — see how to do a land search in Nairobi.