(KIAMBU, KENYA) – Kiambu County could soon host the tallest building outside Nairobi after Tatu City proposed two high rise towers in Ruiru, with the taller structure reaching 30 floors.
The mixed use development will be built on 9,518 square metres of land at Tatu Central’s central business district in Ruiru, Kiambu County, at an estimated cost of KES7.09 billion ($55 million / £43.2 million), according to regulatory disclosures filed in February 2026.
The project, named Jabali Towers, will feature two residential towers. The taller tower will rise to 136.8 metres with 30 floors, while the shorter one will stand at 99.1 metres with 20 floors. The project site is located within Tatu City at approximately Latitude 1.0901 and Longitude 36.5419.
If completed, Jabali Towers will become the tallest building outside Nairobi. Britam Tower in Upper Hill, Nairobi, currently holds the title of Kenya’s tallest building by height with 31 floors. The Chinese owned GTC Office Tower is the second tallest at 184 metres and holds the highest floor count at 43 floors.
Other major skyscrapers in Nairobi include UAP Old Mutual Tower at 163 metres across 33 floors, 88 Nairobi at 150 metres with 47 floors, GTC Hotel Tower at 143 metres with 35 floors, Times Tower at 140 metres with 38 floors, and Prism Tower at 133 metres across 34 floors.
The push to build upwards in Nairobi has been driven largely by the scarcity and rising cost of land in the capital, forcing developers to maximise the value of prime urban plots.
Kiambu County, which forms part of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, has benefited from investment spillover from the capital as farmland is steadily converted into real estate.
Tatu City sits on more than 5,000 acres of former coffee farms off Thika Road. The land acquisition that led to the creation of Tatu City as a master planned mixed use development was inspired by the Kibaki administration’s Vision 2030 infrastructure drive and the construction of the Thika Superhighway.
As investors have moved into Tatu City, developers are increasingly looking upwards, with Jabali Towers reflecting a push for compact, high density development. Tatu City said the project is consistent with its masterplan, which emphasises sustainable land use and compact development.
Jabali Towers will be largely residential, offering studios and one, two and three bedroom apartments. Amenities will include a fitness centre, infinity pool, landscaped gardens, wellness facilities, co-working spaces, public plazas, shops and restaurants.
The project comes as Tatu City has attracted more than 100 businesses and over 7,000 residents. Development within the 5,000 acre mixed use Special Economic Zone is now valued at more than $3.5 billion (£2.73 billion).
The race to the skies previously stalled after plans for The Pinnacle in Upper Hill came to a halt. The KES20 billion ($155 million / £122 million) mixed use project was designed around a 67 storey, 320 metre tower that would have been Africa’s tallest building, alongside a second 45 storey tower housing a Hilton hotel, residential units and commercial space.
The push upwards is also facing resistance in parts of Nairobi, where residents in areas such as Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Lavington and Westlands have challenged high rise developments over zoning, congestion and pressure on neighbourhood infrastructure. That debate could increasingly follow the rapid vertical growth of Kiambu.