About 18 illegal buildings were approved early this month after hackers broke into the online development plans approval system.
The buildings, types and locations were not disclosed.
Some hackers were arrested by DCI and other agencies while investigations are ongoing.
NMS director general Mohammed Badi said they were retired City Hall employees who had access codes and worked with outsiders.
“That system has not been upgraded or maintained for the last four years, letting the hackers in through loopholes," he added.
The QR code system is part of the e-construction permit platform used to apply for building plans and construction permits.
Due to the hacking, Badi’s team had to suspend the QR code system for two weeks to fix the problems. The hacking opened the way for illegal building approvals to be made.
“There were almost 18 illegal approvals done when the system was hacked and we had to suspend it,” Badi said.
He did not say what would happen to the 18 buildings and owners who were duped.
"City residents have suffered at the hands of conmen but NMS we will not allow a single building to go up without the proper approval by the technical committee of urban planning. We shall go for it and bring it down [if necessary],” Badi added.
The demolition threat was considered a warning. The approvals will have to be examined and okayed afresh by the system.
On March 18, President Uhuru Kenyatta established the NMS and directed Badi to streamline projects development and clear the backlog of approvals accumulated following the takeover of City Hall by corrupt cartels.
The online QR code system was launched on March 29, providing unique identification of all approved architectural and structural plans. It eliminates the need for property developers to submit hard copies of development plans for stamping upon approval.
The hacking came at a time when hitches had hit City Hall’s planning department that halted building approvals since August 2019.
However, Badi said it was after at least four months after NMS was established that the entity took over the system.
He said the system owned by the Nairobi Government was sponsored by World Bank almost four years ago.
“Unfortunately after the one-year grace period of handing over to the county, the lease of maintenance by the contractor of World Bank ceased and the county was supposed to take over and upgrade it,” Badi explained.
Badi said the hackers are no strangers but retired City Hall staff who colluded with outsiders to do illegal approvals.
“These hackers are retired county staff from City Hall and they managed to do it since some had the codes on how to enter the systems. It’s unfortunate desperate city residents landed in the hands of these conniving dealers and got illegal approvals,” he said.
“We suspended the system because we called in ICT experts from the Ministry and security agencies, who have now sealed those loopholes. It took almost two weeks to close those loopholes,” Badi said.
He made it clear NMS will not allow any building to be constructed without approval by the Nairobi City County Urban Planning Technical Committee.
The committee is wholly responsible for approval of development application.
NMS has also written to the committee, associations and other members notifying them of the hacking.
Members include representatives from the Architectural Association of Kenya and Engineers Association of Kenya, among others.
(Edited by V. Graham)