Nairobi County is losing an estimated KSh 205 million every quarter in revenue from the outdoor advertising sector due to the proliferation of illegal billboards, county officials have revealed.
The disclosure was made during a meeting between the Nairobi County Assembly Planning Committee and officials from the county’s planning and outdoor advertising departments.
Planning Committee Chairman Geoffrey Majiwa accused some county officers of colluding with rogue advertisers, allowing illegal billboards to remain in operation and denying the county much-needed revenue.
According to Majiwa, the persistence of illegal billboards points to possible insider involvement, noting that some structures reappear shortly after being removed.
“These illegal billboards will never be removed if those tasked with enforcement continue working with the advertisers. You remove five today and tomorrow they are back. Someone is collecting money that should be going to the county. No billboard owner can reinstall a structure that was removed without assurance from an officer on the inside that it will not be taken down again,” Majiwa said.
The committee chair challenged county officials to intensify enforcement efforts and address alleged revenue leakages within the sector.
The committee has also ordered the removal of the moratorium on new outdoor advertising that had been imposed by the Planning Sector.
“The Committee further directs the sector to immediately remove the moratorium that was placed by the Executive so that Nairobians can continue getting these services legally, because that moratorium is only serving the interest of a section of corrupt officials,” Majiwa said.
Speaking during the meeting, Outdoor Advertising Sector Head Duncan Nasengo said the county has identified approximately 832 illegal billboards, compared with about 1,100 regularized advertising structures operating within the city.
Nasengo attributed the slow pace of enforcement to limited capacity, noting that county officers often find illegally erected billboards back in place shortly after demolition.
“We have tried bringing down about five billboards a day, but when you return the following day, you find they have already been erected again. However, we are working to address the challenge,” Nasengo said.
The Planning Committee indicated that it will continue scrutinizing the outdoor advertising sector as part of broader efforts to seal revenue leakages and enhance compliance with county regulations.
