The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has given property owners, developers, and tenants near airports 30 days to install required obstacle lights or face enforcement action.

In a notice by the My Govt issued on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, KCCA stated that the directive is part of measures to protect flight safety and maintain a secure and efficient civil aviation system across the country.

“Failure to comply shall attract enforcement action by the Authority in accordance with the law,” the notice read.

The authority which is responsible for regulating and managing civil aviation in Kenya cited Section 57 of the Civil Aviation Act and the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2013, as the legal basis for the directive.

The Authority stressed that the rules apply to all structures within a fifteen-kilometre radius of both international and domestic aerodromes.

“No person shall construct, erect, or alter any building or structure within the vicinity of an aerodrome… without prior written authorisation from the Authority,” the notice added.

The requirement covers both new developments and modifications to existing buildings.

All applications for approval must be submitted to the Authority before construction commences. Guidance is available on the KCAA website or via email at [email protected]. The directive ensures that developments comply with safe height limits and do not endanger aircraft operations.

The Authority also set out lighting requirements, stating that all structures in aviation zones must be fitted with Class B medium-intensity aeronautical obstacle lights.

“Such lights shall be installed at the tip of aerial masts or at the four upper extremities of buildings, in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2013,” the notice explained.

Affected areas

Further guidance is provided in Advisory Circular CAA-AC-AGA-032 on the lighting and marking of obstacles.

To illustrate the affected areas, the Authority listed regions surrounding Wilson Airport within a fifteen-kilometre radius.

These include Nairobi West, Madaraka, South B, South C, Nairobi Dam, Ngummo, Highview, Magiwa, Golf Course, Lang’ata Estates, Karen, Southlands, Otiende, Ngei 1 and 2, Onyonka, Masai, Uhuru Gardens, Jonathan Ngeno, Deliverance, Dam Estate, Ngong Road, Kibera, Highrise, Ongata Rongai, and Kabete.

The KCAA emphasised that compliance is mandatory.

“All owners, lessors, and lessees of affected developments are hereby given thirty (30) days’ notice from the date of this publication to install the prescribed Class B medium-intensity obstacle lights,” the Authority said.