Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja/ FILENairobi County will remove billboard structures erected without approval as it tightens regulation of outdoor advertising across the city, Governor Johnson Sakaja has said.
Sakaja said the county had brought together outdoor advertising companies to review the sector after residents raised concerns over the growing number of billboards and advertising structures in public spaces.
He said advertisers had asked the county to allow the industry to try self-regulation.
“They asked for self-regulation, and so we had said, ‘Okay, let’s give it a try. Let’s see what you guys can do.’ And we put a moratorium and said, ‘No more,’” Sakaja said.
He said some companies subsequently installed structures without the required approvals despite the moratorium.
“Many of them have gone behind our backs, put up illegal billboards. Many of them are illegal, and so you’ll see many of them coming down,” he said.
Sakaja said the county's concern was not outdoor advertising itself but the number, location and design of structures being put up in the city.
“There are too many, and in too many places,” he said, while acknowledging that the advertising industry provides livelihoods.
He said some billboards also posed safety concerns, particularly illuminated digital screens that could affect motorists' visibility.
Sakaja cited one billboard whose bright lights, he said, made it difficult for motorists to distinguish traffic signals.
“People can’t see the traffic light. They can’t tell whether it’s red, green, or blue,” he said.
The governor said the county had previously removed smaller advertising structures that crowded pavements in Nairobi's central business district.
He said hanging advertisements outside shops had at one point made it difficult for pedestrians to use walkways, but many businesses had complied after the county removed the structures.
“I’m very happy that those businesses have complied. They have not brought them back,” Sakaja said.
He said the county intended to extend enforcement beyond the CBD, with advertising structures required to meet regulations on spacing, placement and safety.
The county's focus on the sector comes as outdoor advertising remains an important source of own revenue for Nairobi. The county government has reported significant losses from illegal billboards, while officials continue efforts to regularise advertising structures.
On Thursday, the county had identified about 832 illegal billboards and estimated quarterly revenue losses of Sh205 million from the sector.
The county's planning committee has, however, also raised questions about the executive's decision to impose a moratorium on new outdoor advertising. The committee directed the planning sector to remove the moratorium, saying legally operating advertisers should continue accessing the service.
The development leaves the county balancing enforcement against unauthorised structures with regulation of legitimate outdoor advertising businesses.
Sakaja said the county had engaged advertising firms before taking action and that the industry had been given an opportunity to regulate itself.
He also rejected claims that enforcement was targeting particular companies, saying structures belonging to competing firms had been removed during previous operations.
The governor emphasised the county would continue enforcing the rules where advertisers failed to comply, including removing structures considered illegal or dangerous.
