The Nairobi City County Government initiated a major enforcement operation on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, targeting outdoor advertising companies with significant outstanding debts and illegally erected structures. The crackdown aims to recover more than KSh 500 million in unpaid permit and advertising fees, a critical component of the county's strategy to boost its own-source revenue and restore order to the city's urban landscape.

The operation, ordered by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Patrick Mbodo, is being implemented by enforcement teams under the supervision of Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo Akivaga. According to Akivaga, numerous advertising firms have collected fees from their clients but failed to remit the statutory payments to the county government. "Some of these companies have not only failed to remit what is owed but have also erected illegal billboards and cut down trees in the process," Akivaga stated on Wednesday.

Enforcement teams have begun dismantling non-compliant structures along major arterial roads, including James Gichuru Road, Olenguruone Road, and Kingara Road, with other high-traffic corridors like Mombasa Road and Waiyaki Way also identified as areas with numerous illegal billboards. The county has affirmed that the operation will continue until full compliance is achieved, warning that defaulters will face prosecution in accordance with county laws.

Revenue Enhancement and Urban Order

This crackdown is part of a broader, long-term strategy by Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration to address persistent challenges in revenue collection and urban management. Outdoor advertising is a significant revenue stream for the county, which has previously set targets of collecting up to KSh 1.2 billion annually from this sector. However, historical data shows a consistent gap between potential and actual collections, with officials in the past estimating that the county loses billions from advertisers who evade licence fees. For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, Nairobi recorded its highest-ever own-source revenue collection, reaching KSh 13.7 billion, demonstrating the success of ongoing reforms.

The issue of illegal and improperly placed billboards is not new. Previous enforcement drives, including one in January 2025 targeting the Central Business District, have been conducted to clear unauthorized signage. Officials have also raised concerns that some advertisers tamper with public infrastructure, such as street lighting poles, to mount signs, compromising public safety.

Parallel Regularisation Drive

Concurrent with the billboard cleanup, the county's Department of Planning has launched a regularisation exercise for thousands of unauthorized property developments across the city. This initiative is anchored in the Nairobi City County Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025. It invites property owners, developers, and investors with unapproved structures to apply for official permits, provided their developments meet minimum safety and planning standards.

This dual approach of strict enforcement against defaulters and providing a pathway for regularisation for others signals a comprehensive attempt to enforce the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019, and other county regulations. While the Outdoor Advertising Association of Kenya (OAAK) has previously engaged with the county assembly on policy matters, its official stance on the current operation has not yet been publicly detailed. The success of this latest crackdown will depend on sustained enforcement and the willingness of industry players to comply with the city's legal and financial frameworks.