Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has expressed concern over
the low rate of land rate compliance in the capital.
He noted that only a small proportion of landowners are
contributing to the financial resources needed to sustain essential county services.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday, Sakaja revealed that
out of 250,000 registered parcels of land in Nairobi, only 50,000 are currently
paying land rates, leaving the majority delinquent and severely limiting the
county’s revenue.
“The biggest revenue earner in a city is property taxes. In Nairobi, we have 250,000 pieces of land, but only 50,000 landowners are paying land rates, so the burden falls on this small group. That is not sustainable,” Sakaja said.
He noted that Nairobi County was facing a resource mobilisation issue, given that the needs of its population are not commensurate with the resources available.
The Governor announced an extension of the land rates waiver
until April 30th, offering a final opportunity for defaulters to clear their
arrears without penalties.
“We have extended the waiver to 30th April this month,” he
said.
“Now that we have
complete data on the 250,000 pieces of land, it’s time to collect what is due
so that we can deliver services as a county. We’ve given enough time going
forward, we shall enforce.”
The Governor also hinted at the enforcement measures that
the county may deploy on non-compliant property owners, citing legal provisions
that allow the county to clamp buildings.
"Buildings can be clamped. It is in the law. We would not
want to get there. Let’s all take charge we’ve given enough time to pay. Let’s
not leave just a small percentage of landowners carrying the heavy luggage of
land rates,” he continued
The Governor urged residents to take advantage of the waiver
window before enforcement actions begin.
