CBD planning area · DC Policy 2026

Ngara zoning

Ngara is a planning zone in the CBD area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for mixed use use. A building here can have up to 30 floors on the largest plots (fewer on smaller ones) and cover up to 60% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 1,800% of the plot's area. The smallest plot allowed is 0.05 ha (500 m²).

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

30Most floorsThe highest a building may go here

60%Ground coverageHow much of the plot a building may stand on

1,800%Plot ratioFloor space of all floors, as a share of the plot (FAR 18)

0.05 haSmallest plot500 m² — land cannot be split smaller

See Ngara 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, and here the policy allows fewer floors on smaller plots. For example:

Plot size	Area	Most floors	Largest footprint	Most floor space
0.05 ha	500 m²	15	300 m²	4,500 m²
0.0645 ha	645 m²	15	387 m²	5,805 m²	A typical plot here
0.1 ha	1,000 m²	20	600 m²	12,000 m²
0.25 ha	2,500 m²	30	1,500 m²	45,000 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 Ngara

30 floors on a plot min. size of 0.2ha, 20 floors on 0.1ha, 15 floors on 0.05ha, Subject to surrender for road widening, Subject to provision of adequate parking, Developers encouraged to put up parking silos. Infrastructure: To secure approvals for commensurate expansion of sewer, water, electricity, roads by utility providers prior to commencement of densification. Privately developed infrastructure are 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 Ngara

We count 1,024 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.0645 ha (645 m²); the middle half are between 0.0395 and 0.11 ha.

Where Ngara is

The zone covers about 3 km² across 2 wards.

Zones next to Ngara

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 Ngara

How many floors can I build in Ngara?

Up to 30 floors on the largest plots under the Nairobi Development Control Policy 2026, and fewer on smaller ones: 15 on a 0.05 ha plot, 20 on a 0.1 ha plot and 30 on a 0.2 ha plot. Check your exact plot on the Nairobi Maps map.

What is the minimum plot size in Ngara?

0.05 hectares, which is 500 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 Ngara?

1,800%. All floors together can add up to 1,800% of the plot's area — for example 18,000 m² of floor space on a 1,000 m² plot. The ground coverage is 60%, so the building can stand on up to 600 m² of that plot.

Which wards does the Ngara zone cover?

Ngara and Nairobi Central wards, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.

How do I get approval to build in Ngara?

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.