Thousands of land and property owners in Nairobi face the risk of losing their properties due to defaulting on annual land rates owed to the county government.
In an effort to reach these defaulters, the county government is publishing their names during a one-month waiver period on penalties and unpaid taxes for land parcels and other developments.
Despite nearly 250,000 landowners being listed by the county, only 20 percent have paid their land rates. County Chief Officer for Revenue Administration, Wilson Gakuya, noted that failure to meet the payment target has placed a significant financial strain on the county government. “If landowners complied, the county would generate over Sh30 billion annually, but due to defaulting, we typically set a target of Sh7 billion from those willing to pay the land rates during the waiver period,” explained Gakuya.
For the 2023/2024 financial year, the county set a revenue target of Sh7 billion, but collections have only reached slightly over Sh3 billion as the year ends next month. “This is below target and a major concern for the county, which is why we are publishing the names to raise awareness and encourage compliance,” said Gakuya. He emphasized that it is impossible to deliver services to city residents when revenue targets are not met. “When we project Sh7 billion and there is a deficit of Sh4 billion, it means certain services cannot be delivered,” he said.
The county has opened the waiver period from May 20 to June 20, 2024. At the end of the waiver period, enforcement actions, including clamping of developed properties, will be taken. There is a law that permits the sale of such properties after the waiver period lapses.
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