City Hall gives loading zone applicants November 30 deadline for 2027 permits

Commercial operators seeking designated roadside spaces for loading and unloading goods in Nairobi have been given less than a month to secure their places for 2027, with the county government setting November 30, 2026, as the final date for submitting applications.

The Nairobi City County Government has announced the application schedule, directing interested parties to follow specific procedures and provide precise details of the locations they want allocated to them.

According to a public notice issued by the county, applications must be submitted in duplicate to the Office of the County Chief Officer responsible for Mobility, situated on the 14th Floor of City Hall Annex.

Applicants have been instructed to identify their preferred loading and offloading points by providing the relevant road or street names alongside the nearest recognisable landmarks. The details are intended to help the county establish the exact locations being requested.

Those submitting applications must present both copies for official acknowledgement, after which they are expected to keep one acknowledged document as evidence that their requests were received.

“All interested applicants are required to submit their applications between 1st November 2026 and 30th November 2026, clearly indicating the exact location of the loading zone applied for, including the road or street name and the nearest identifiable landmark,” the notice stated.

The county has also outlined how the available spaces will be distributed, placing existing permit holders who have met their financial and regulatory obligations ahead of other applicants.

Operators who currently occupy designated loading zones will be required to demonstrate that they have cleared all outstanding county payments and complied with the applicable requirements.

They must also include a copy of their most recent valid approval when making fresh applications to be considered for the 2027 allocation.

“Priority shall be accorded to existing loading-zone holders who are fully paid up and compliant with the applicable County requirements,” the notice stated.

City Hall expects to complete the allocation process by December 15, 2026, before requiring successful applicants to pay the prescribed charges by the end of that month.

All payments must be made through the county government's authorised payment channels, with December 31, 2026, set as the final date for settling the required fees.

However, the county has made it clear that meeting the application requirements does not automatically secure an applicant a loading or offloading space.

Each request will be evaluated based on the availability of the proposed location, its suitability and whether the responsible county department grants formal approval.

“Submission of an application shall not confer an automatic right to a loading zone,” the notice stated.

The administration further cautioned that applicants would have to observe the announced dates, warning that it would not issue loading-zone allocations to those who submit requests outside the official application period.

The annual allocation exercise is anchored in the Nairobi City County Transport Act, 2020, with Section 54 providing for loading and unloading activities.

It is also governed by the Revenue Administration Act, 2021, the Finance Act and other relevant laws that regulate county operations and revenue collection.

Applicants requiring further details about the exercise have been advised to seek information through the Nairobi City County Government's official website.