Runda–Ruaka planning area · DC Policy 2026

Runda Residential zoning

Runda Residential is a planning zone in the Runda–Ruaka area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for low-density residential use. A building here can have up to 1 floor and cover up to 25% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 50% 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.

1Most floorsThe highest a building may go here

25%Ground coverageHow much of the plot a building may stand on

50%Plot ratioFloor space of all floors, as a share of the plot (FAR 0.5)

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

See Runda Residential 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	1	125 m²	125 m²	Below this zone’s smallest plot
0.1 ha	1,000 m²	1	250 m²	250 m²	Below this zone’s smallest plot
0.2 ha	2,000 m²	1	500 m²	500 m²
0.204 ha	2,040 m²	1	510 m²	510 m²	A typical plot here
0.25 ha	2,500 m²	1	625 m²	625 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 Runda Residential

Exemption of existing shopping centers.

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 Residential

We count 3,065 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.204 ha (2,040 m²); the middle half are between 0.198 and 0.248 ha.

Where Runda Residential is

The zone covers about 11.8 km² across one ward.

Karura ward · 100%

Zones next to Runda Residential

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 Residential

How many floors can I build in Runda Residential?

Up to 1 floor 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 Residential?

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 Residential?

50%. All floors together can add up to 50% of the plot's area — for example 500 m² of floor space on a 1,000 m² plot. The ground coverage is 25%, so the building can stand on up to 250 m² of that plot.

Which wards does the Runda Residential zone cover?

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

How do I get approval to build in Runda Residential?

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.