City Hall maps out properties set for auction as owners receive final warnings

The Nairobi City County Government has initiated legal proceedings to auction properties whose owners have defaulted on land rates, with final SMS notifications issued Sunday to thousands of defaulters.

According to Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge, the auction process is already underway, and the messages serve only as a last formal alert.

Njoroge said over 5000 properties were issued auction alert messages Sunday which form the firm batch of consolidated auction proceedings.

These alerts confirm that the properties have been forwarded to auctioneers for recovery due to long-standing arrears and failure to honour demand notices.

 A second batch of property owners will receive similar messages starting Monday.

The SMS notice reads in part:

“Your property LR XXX has an outstanding balance of KES XXX (Invoice No. YYY) and has been forwarded to auctioneers for recovery. Pay in full by 30th June to avoid auction. No further notice will be given before court action, as per the National Rating Act.”

Njoroge stressed that the County is not merely issuing threats but that legal steps towards auction are underway as per the National Rating Act No. 15 of 2024, a newly enacted law that empowers counties to recover land rates through direct enforcement.

“The law is very clear—non-payment of land rates leads to auction. This isn’t a threat; it’s the law being implemented,” he said.

In addition to forwarding properties to auctioneers, the County has secured court orders to facilitate the recovery process and has officially requested the Ministry of Lands to place caveats on the affected parcels.

These caveats block any attempts to sell, develop, or transfer the properties until the outstanding balances are cleared.

“This move is about fairness,” Njoroge said.

“It’s unjust for small traders to pay their dues while owners of prime properties continue to evade payment and still benefit from County services.”

He added that compliance ensures better service delivery:

“With proper revenue, we can fix roads, stock our hospitals, and provide clean water. But everyone must contribute.”

The County’s enforcement drive will continue beyond the end of the financial year.

 Njoroge urged property owners not to ignore legal notices.

“If you receive a court order, don’t panic; comply. This is about restoring equity.”