Nairobi waives interests, penalties on land rates for a month

The Nairobi county has issued a waiver on outstanding penalties and interests on land rates within the county.

In Coordination with KRA and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, the county approved a 100 per cent waiver on outstanding penalties for those who will pay for all outstanding principal arrears between October 1 and 31.

“To take advantage of the waiver, billing and payment for the amount due will be undertaken through the Nairobi Revenue System,” the notice read on Thursday.

To access the waiver, ratepayers are required to create an NRS account.

Once the account has been created, ratepayers should send their LR Number or a copy of their latest land rates payment receipt and ID copy to [email protected] or call 0709014747 to provide the same details to get an NRS waiver bill.

Alternatively, ratepayers can visit KRA officers at Times Tower Ground Floor banking hall, waiver customer care desk at the Sunken Parking and NMS Customer Care Desk at Green Park Bus Terminus.

They have to go with the documents to be assisted in both account creation and billing for the waiver.

"All payments shall be made through Cooperative, Equity and mobile money banking. You should quote the NRS Bill number as your payment number," the notice read.

After paying,  your land rates account is automatically updated and you can update your receipt by logging into your account.

"There shall therefore be no requirement to go to city hall or sub county offices for receipting," the county said.

"At the end of the waiver, enforcement measures shall be initiated against defaulters for recovery of the principal, interest and penalties of accrued land rates."

Early in the week, a bill by National Treasury sought to provide a uniform law to be used by the regional administrations for a better collection of land rates.

County governments could soon be handed powers to collect rent from tenants and occupiers of land whose owners default in payment of rates.

The National Rating Bill, 2021, seeks to repeal the Rating Act and the Valuation for Rating Act to provide that the chief government valuer would collate the valuation rolls drawn by counties. 

In the face of pressure to recover unpaid land rates, the law is being enhanced to provide that counties may appoint a receiver to recover the rent from tenants and occupiers.

If the bill is approved, county governments would also apply as a beneficiary in case of succession where the property is yet to be transferred to beneficiaries.

Governors would also have powers to auction such properties at the prevailing market value in accordance with provided procedures to recover the rate due.

Edited by D Tarus