The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has asked the public to comment on the government's plan to build 7,128 affordable and social housing units in Southlands, Lang'ata. The move comes months after a court halted an earlier phase of the project over a flawed environmental review.

In notices published in the Kenya Gazette on Friday, October 23, NEMA listed five Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) reports submitted by the State Department for Housing and Urban Development. The project is in Mugumo-ini Ward, Lang'ata Constituency. Residents and other interested parties have 30 days from the date of publication to send oral or written comments, which puts the deadline at around November 22.

Five lots, 7,128 homes

The development is split into five lots. Four of them, Lots 1, 3, 4 and 5, will each have 1,386 units in 14 residential blocks. Lot 2 will have 1,584 units in 16 blocks. Every block is planned as a ground floor plus eight upper floors.

The units are a mix of one-, two- and three-roomed social housing and affordable studio, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. The plans also include internal access roads, water supply and storage, shopping stalls, children's play areas and parking.

Dust, noise and displacement

The reports say construction is likely to bring dust, noise, vibration and more traffic for neighbouring households. To reduce the impact, they propose limiting noisy work to daytime hours, watering exposed ground to keep dust down, and surveying nearby buildings before work starts. According to The Kenya Times, neighbours should get at least 14 days' notice before major works that cause vibration.

The reports also acknowledge that some current residents and occupants of the land may be displaced. The report for Lot 5, which borders Kibra, says the register of affected persons must be verified and agreed support provided before the land is cleared. It also calls for continuous engagement with affected people, livelihood restoration and access to grievance channels.

The reports ask for particular attention to elderly people, children, persons with disabilities and women-headed households. Neither the reports nor the notices, as published in the media, say how many people could be moved or when clearance would begin.

Earlier licence quashed

The new review follows a legal fight over the Lang'ata housing plans. In May 2026, the Environment and Land Court quashed an environmental licence NEMA had issued on December 16, 2025. The court found the assessment process flawed and said residents' concerns had not been properly addressed. Construction was barred until the government met the requirements for environmental assessment and public participation.

The case was brought by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah. He argued that work had started without the environmental and public participation steps required by the Constitution and the law. The State Department for Housing had defended the project, saying the licence was properly issued.

How to take part

The full reports can be inspected during working hours at NEMA's headquarters on Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, and at the office of the Nairobi City County Director of Environment. They are also available on NEMA's website.

Written comments should be addressed to NEMA's Director-General and quote the reference number of the relevant project.

The Southlands scheme is one of several large Nairobi developments under President William Ruto's affordable housing programme, which is funded partly by the Housing Levy charged on salaried workers. The outcome of this review will determine whether the authority issues a fresh licence that can withstand another court challenge.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons/Ninaras (CC BY-SA 4.0) (Kibera, Nairobi); Kenyans.co.ke (President Ruto at an affordable housing site, file).