Runda–Ruaka planning area · DC Policy 2026
Runda Commercial Core zoning
Runda Commercial Core is a planning zone in the Runda–Ruaka area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for mixed use use. A building here can have up to 20 floors and cover up to 50% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 1,000% 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.
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 | 20 | 250 m² | 5,000 m² | Below this zone’s smallest plot |
| 0.1 ha | 1,000 m² | 20 | 500 m² | 10,000 m² | Below this zone’s smallest plot |
| 0.2 ha | 2,000 m² | 20 | 1,000 m² | 20,000 m² | |
| 0.25 ha | 2,500 m² | 20 | 1,250 m² | 25,000 m² | |
| 1.58 ha | 15,790 m² | 20 | 7,895 m² | 157,900 m² | A typical plot here |
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 Runda Commercial Core
Subject to development of a masterplan.
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 Runda Commercial Core
We count 28 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 1.58 ha (15,790 m²); the middle half are between 0.342 and 7.06 ha.
Where Runda Commercial Core is
The zone covers about 2.7 km² across one ward.
Zones next to Runda Commercial Core
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 Runda Commercial Core
How many floors can I build in Runda Commercial Core?
Up to 20 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 Runda Commercial Core?
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 Runda Commercial Core?
1,000%. All floors together can add up to 1,000% of the plot's area — for example 10,000 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 Runda Commercial Core zone cover?
Karura ward, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.
How do I get approval to build in Runda Commercial Core?
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.