Westlands planning area · DC Policy 2026
Westlands Core zoning
Westlands Core is a planning zone in the Westlands 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 80% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 2,400% 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, 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 | 400 m² | 6,000 m² | |
| 0.1 ha | 1,000 m² | 20 | 800 m² | 16,000 m² | |
| 0.144 ha | 1,437 m² | 20 | 1,150 m² | 22,992 m² | A typical plot here |
| 0.25 ha | 2,500 m² | 30 | 2,000 m² | 60,000 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 Westlands Core
30 floors on a plot min. size of 0.2ha, 20 floors on 0.1ha and 15 floors on 0.05 ha. Subject to surrender for road widening, Subject to provision of adequate parking. 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 Westlands Core
We count 1,050 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.144 ha (1,437 m²); the middle half are between 0.0945 and 0.234 ha.
Where Westlands Core is
The zone covers about 2.8 km² across one ward.
Zones next to Westlands Core
- Karura Forest
- Lower Springvalley
- Ngara
- Old Muthaiga
- Parklands
- Rhapta Road Area
- Riverside Drive
- Upper Springvalley
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 Westlands Core
How many floors can I build in Westlands Core?
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 Westlands Core?
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 Westlands Core?
2,400%. All floors together can add up to 2,400% of the plot's area — for example 24,000 m² of floor space on a 1,000 m² plot. The ground coverage is 80%, so the building can stand on up to 800 m² of that plot.
Which wards does the Westlands Core zone cover?
Parklands/Highridge ward, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.
How do I get approval to build in Westlands 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.