After successfully attaining over Sh1 billion from rates defaulters, the City Council of Nairobi has embarked on a one month campaign to force developers whose buildings are not approved to 'regularise them.'

Due to its incompetence and lackluster enforcement of city by-laws, rogue developers have put up storey buildings worth billions of shillings across the city.

Acting Local Government minister Fred Gumo, PS Prof. Karega Mutahi and town clerk Roba Duba yesterday said City Hall will set up city planning offices where anyone who has put up a building without approved plans can register with the council. Gumo said developers who own illegal buildings will pay a registration fee of Sh5,000 and avail all documentation with the council to jumpstart the process.

"Once they (developers) have registered, the council will send competent planners and architects to the site and buildings and after thorough work has been carried out, those that stand the rigorous test will be issued with approved plans. As a Nairobi politician, I am human and that is why I wouldn't want to see one lose his hard earned property just because of ignorance," Gumo said.

Director of City Planning Patrick Tom Odongo said Embakasi and Kasarani constituencies were the most notorious for illegal developments. Odongo was hopeful that the exercise will raise additional millions to the cash-strapped council. "There is a penaty fee we will charge them after they register with us. The standard fee is gazetted. The council will charge them per square metre on the additional floors that they have put up," Odongo said.

The Star has learnt that the penalty per fee is Sh100,000 per building. Gumo further warned city politicians against politicising the buildings regularisation issue, adding that the developers who will not take advantage of the one month notice will have themselves to blame as the council will bring down their buildings.