NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a nationwide directive requiring advertisers and utility wayleave owners to renew permits for roadside billboards, directional signage and related infrastructure within 14 days, warning that non-compliance will attract enforcement action.
In a notice dated February 10, 2026, the authority said the directive applies to all individuals and firms holding approvals for structures erected along national highways. The requirement covers annual permit renewals and settlement of any outstanding arrears, in accordance with existing permit conditions.
KeNHA said all renewals and payments must be processed exclusively through the KeNHA Online Permit Portal, which it described as the sole authorised platform for permit administration.
The Acting Director General, Luka Kimeli, said the deadline for compliance is Tuesday, February 24, 2026, after which the authority will begin enforcement.
“At the expiry of this period, enforcement action will follow, including the demolition of the structures and the recovery of all related costs, without further reference to the owners or agents,” the Director General said.
The authority warned that unauthorised or non-compliant billboards, directional signs and utility wayleave installations will not be spared once enforcement begins, adding that the full cost of removal will be recovered from owners.
KeNHA also cautioned businesses and individuals intending to advertise or rely on services offered through roadside structures to ensure their service providers are fully compliant.
According to Kimeli, users should conduct due diligence by forwarding copies of valid permits to the authority for verification, a step he said is critical to ensuring only legally approved structures remain operational along national highways.
The directive, he noted, falls within KeNHA’s statutory mandate to regulate and manage developments within the national road reserve, a space that has increasingly come under pressure from unregulated commercial activity.
The authority said the move is aimed at strengthening compliance, safeguarding public road infrastructure and restoring order along major transport corridors.
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The notice comes just a day after KeNHA issued a separate enforcement directive on February 9, 2026, ordering roadside traders along sections of the Thika Superhighway, specifically at Roysambu and Githurai, to vacate the road reserve within seven days.
The clearance is intended to facilitate the construction of designated bus bays to improve road safety and ease congestion.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority wishes to notify all roadside traders along the Thika Superhighway at the Roysambu (both directions) and Githurai (Nairobi direction) sections to clear their wares from the road reserve within seven (7) days of this notice,” the Authority said.
KeNHA said the parallel enforcement measures underscore its renewed focus on road safety, regulatory compliance and orderly use of highway reserves, particularly in high-traffic urban corridors.
