Ruai planning area · DC Policy 2026
Utawala zoning
Utawala is a planning zone in the Ruai area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for medium and low-density residential use. A building here can have up to 10 floors and cover up to 50% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 500% 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.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0228 ha | 228 m² | 5 | 114 m² | 570 m² | Under 0.05 ha: one home only |
| 0.05 ha | 500 m² | 10 | 250 m² | 2,500 m² | |
| 0.1 ha | 1,000 m² | 10 | 500 m² | 5,000 m² | |
| 0.25 ha | 2,500 m² | 10 | 1,250 m² | 12,500 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 Utawala
10 floors on 0.05ha, 7 floors on 0.03ha, 5 floors on 0.02ha and single dwelling for plots 0.02ha. Subject to road surrender for road widening, Subject to provision of adequate parking, Developers encouraged to put up parking silos No densification on comprehensive schemes. 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 Utawala
We count 1,273 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.0228 ha (228 m²); the middle half are between 0.0189 and 0.0291 ha. The typical plot here is already smaller than the zone’s smallest plot size, so most plots cannot be split further.
Where Utawala is
The zone covers about 1.3 km² across one ward.
Zones next to Utawala
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 Utawala
How many floors can I build in Utawala?
Up to 10 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 Utawala?
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 Utawala?
500%. All floors together can add up to 500% of the plot's area — for example 5,000 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 Utawala zone cover?
Mihango ward, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.
How do I get approval to build in Utawala?
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.