A genuine Kenyan development carries approvals you can verify, and the bodies that issue them all publish a way to check. This guide is who governs what, and how to confirm each one yourself before you engage or pay. It describes the public process; it never asserts any specific project’s approval status, so always verify against the official source. It is general information current to 2026, not legal advice; confirm your position with your own advocate.
The one idea. Approvals are real only when you can check the reference against the issuing body’s own register. Ask for the reference, verify it at the source, and watch for the same project described under different plot numbers or applicant names.
EARB, Estate Agents Registration Board
Registers and licenses estate agents under Cap 533. Only a registered agent holding a current certificate may lawfully conduct estate agency.
- Verify: ask for the agent’s EARB registration and confirm it is current before you engage or pay. A person without it is a marketer, not a registered agent.
NLC, National Land Commission
Manages public land on behalf of national and county governments, and confirms lease extensions and renewals.
- Verify: a promised lease extension is real only once it is registered on the title at the Lands Registry. A letter of intent is not a registered term.
NEMA, National Environment Management Authority
Issues the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence a development needs before it breaks ground.
- Verify: check the EIA licence reference against NEMA’s register; a genuine licence carries an official reference number.
NCA, National Construction Authority
Registers contractors and oversees site compliance.
- Verify: confirm the contractor is NCA-registered in a category appropriate to the project’s scale.
County government (e.g. Nairobi City County)
Issues the building / development permit and the change of user under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act 2019.
- Verify: check the permit and change-of-user against the county e-permit system. A change of user can lapse if construction stalls, so confirm it is current.
Ardhisasa, the national land-information system
Hosts land records and the official search showing the registered owner, the lease term and any charges.
- Verify: run an official search (about KES 500). Brand-new sectional units may still need direct verification at the registry.
Frequently asked
How do I know an approval is genuine? Genuine approvals carry official letterheads and reference numbers you can check on the relevant portal. Verify the reference, and watch for the same project described under different plot numbers or applicant names.
Who confirms a lease extension? It runs through the county, the National Land Commission, and finally the Lands Registry. It is real only once the new term is registered on the title.
Does Space Kenya approve projects? No. We are an independent content and intelligence platform. Approvals are issued and verified by the public bodies above; always confirm against the official source.
Where Space Kenya fits
Use this alongside the off-plan complete guide, the title-deed guide, and how to find and verify a professional. The approvals, and the verification, stay with the issuing body and your own advocate.
This guide is general information current to 2026. It is not legal advice. Always verify against the official source and confirm with your own advocate.