A Practical Guide for Developers and Property Owners in Kenya
If your project touches a national road, whether that’s a new access lane into a plot, a driveway onto a Class S, A, or B highway, a pipeline or cable crossing, or signage near a road reserve, you need a permit from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) before you break ground. Skipping this step is one of the most common and most expensive mistakes we see on projects across Kenya. It leads to stalled construction, and in some cases, demolition notices on structures that were built without approval.
This guide sets out what a KeNHA access permit covers, who needs one, how the application process works, and where projects most often go wrong.
What a KeNHA Access Permit Covers
KeNHA manages, develops, and maintains Kenya’s national trunk roads. These are classified as Class S roads (highways connecting major cities), Class A roads (international corridor roads), and Class B roads (national trunk roads). Any structure, excavation, or connection within the road reserve, or on land abutting these roads, falls under KeNHA’s Roadside Development Control rules.
Permits in this category fall into four main groups:
- Access road or lane approvals, for a driveway, entrance, or access road connecting a property to a national road
- Way leave approvals, for underground cables, water lines, sewer lines, pipelines, or overhead power lines that cross or run within the road reserve
- Directional signage approvals, for billboards, business signs, or directional signs near the carriageway
- Exemption permits, for abnormal or super loads that exceed standard axle weight limits
For most private developers, contractors, and property owners, the two that come up most often are access approvals and way leave approvals.
Who Needs One
You need KeNHA approval before construction if your project involves any of the following within or next to a national road reserve:
- Constructing a new access road or driveway to a commercial or residential plot
- Widening or relocating an existing access point
- Laying pipes, ducts, or cables (water, sewer, fibre, power) that cross or run along the reserve
- Erecting any structure, wall, or signage within the controlled distance from the road centreline
- Installing overhead lines near the carriageway
This applies to private landowners, real estate developers, telecom and utility contractors, and county government agencies alike. Structures built without an approved permit can be ordered demolished. The design of any structure on the road reserve must also be reviewed and approved by KeNHA, and the works must be supervised by a registered engineer holding a valid practising licence.
How the Application Process Works
KeNHA processes Roadside Development Control permits through an online portal rather than paper submissions at regional offices. The steps run roughly as follows:
1. Apply online through the KeNHA Permits Portal, uploading your project data: site location, drawings, and supporting documents.
2. KeNHA verifies and approves the uploaded data, and you receive a payment advice slip (charge sheet).
3. Pay the assessed fee at the nearest KeNHA regional office. Regional offices are in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nyeri, Machakos, Isiolo, and Garissa.
4. Upload proof of payment to the portal. A KeNHA accountant confirms it.
5. The permit is issued on the portal once payment is confirmed, and you print it from there.
KeNHA’s target processing time for a complete application is a maximum of five working days. In practice, how quickly you get through depends heavily on whether your drawings and supporting documents are complete and correct the first time.
Documents You’ll Typically Need
- Title deed or other proof of interest in the abutting land
- Site plan and survey information showing the property’s position relative to the road reserve boundary
- Engineering drawings for the proposed access, crossing, or structure, prepared and signed by a registered engineer
- A location or site map
- For way leave applications: route drawings showing the alignment of pipes, cables, or lines relative to the road
Fees and Deposits
Fees are set out in KeNHA’s regulatory schedules and vary by permit type. Access roads, excavation for pipes, cables, and ducts (charged by diameter), and structures on the road reserve are each priced differently. A number of these fees also include a refundable deposit, which KeNHA returns once it inspects the completed works and confirms they match the approved design.
The fee schedule is revised periodically through KeNHA’s general regulations, so confirm current rates with your regional office or engineering consultant before you budget a project. Don’t rely on figures from an older permit or a past job.
Where Projects Go Wrong
Starting works before the permit is issued. Even on an otherwise compliant project, breaking ground before the permit is confirmed on the portal exposes the developer to a stop-work order and possible demolition.
Submitting drawings without a registered engineer’s signature. Designs that arrive unsigned get bounced back for correction, which adds weeks to the timeline.
Underestimating the road reserve boundary. Many disputes come from developers assuming their plot boundary and the road reserve boundary are the same line. They usually aren’t, and the gap between them matters for setback compliance.
Treating way leave as an afterthought. Contractors laying water, sewer, or cable lines sometimes proceed without a separate way leave approval, assuming it’s a formality. That leaves the property owner carrying the liability later.
How Strasan Group Helps
Handling KeNHA’s permit requirements alongside your project’s engineering design is core work for our transportation engineering team, from access road design and drawing preparation through to permit submission and regional office follow-up. Where a project also needs an independent safety review of the proposed access or junction, our team carries this out as part of our road safety audits and KeNHA access permit service, so the design you submit is compliant and safe by the time it reaches KeNHA’s reviewers.
If you’re planning a development that touches a national road, whether it’s a single access driveway or a multi-kilometre utility crossing, get your permit pathway right before you finalise the design. It’s far cheaper to fix on paper than on site. Get in touch with our team to scope your permit requirements early.
