Kiambu County Assembly has amended the County Valuation and Rating Act 2016 to stop the devolved unit from taxing freehold and commercial agricultural land.
This follows a memorandum written by Governor Kimani Wamatangi recommending that all freehold land that is not more than 10 acres be exempted from the tax.
A group of residents had also presented a petition urging the assembly to amend the law in February this year.
The Committee on County Planning and Urbanisation in the assembly Wednesday tabled a report that sought to repeal some sections of the Act.
The committee also sought to waive land rates and penalties that land owners have defaulted on for the last eight years.
Karuri MCA Peter Wainana, who moved the amendments, said they had considered the cries of Kiambu residents who complained that the law was punitive and called for its review.
The MCAs also reduced penalties for late payment of land rates from 36 per cent per annum to 10 per cent.
"The three per cent penalty per month for commercial land is too high and has to be reduced,” Wainaina said.
The legislators also trimmed the county government’s powers to sell land through an auction if the owner fails to pay land rates.
The law allowed county government officials to enter any private land for valuation and slapped a fine of Sh150,000 or a six-month jail term for those who attempted to stop them.
Ngenda MCA Joe Kigara who is also the minority leader said the amendments are for the interests of the people.
“Kiambu people will be happy that their land is free again. Nobody will charge them penalties or sell their land over delayed rates payment”.
Kahawa Sukari MCA Kennedy Odhiambo said most of the local land is passed on through inheritance and that it was a shame for the government to tax it.
Eric Mutura, the speaker of the Bunge Mashinani lobby that collected signatures to present a petition to the assembly to review the law said residents can now rest easy.
Mutura urged the county government to ensure the laws adopted support residents and are not seen to be exploitative.
“The county government must ensure that at least one per cent of its budget is dedicated to civic education so residents can fully understand the laws being passed,” he said.
