The Nairobi county government will today begin a crackdown on property owners following the lapse of the grace period for paying land rates.
The crackdown follows a recent announcement by Governor Johnson Sakaja that only 20 per cent of the city’s landowners, comprising about 50,000 out of 256,000 registered parcels have been paying land rates, a situation he described as “unsustainable.”
Speaking at City Hall on Friday, Revenue Administration and ICT Infrastructure Chief Officer Tiras Njoroge confirmed that the county has finalised its preparation for enforcement operations and will roll out the crackdown starting this week across all subcounties.
“From Monday May 12, we will begin full enforcement. That means clamping of properties, issuing of notices and legal proceedings for chronic defaulters,” Njoroge said.
He said the county had given a generous window through the waiver period that ended on April 30, but many landowners ignored the opportunity to regularise their accounts.
“We understand the economic hardship, which is why the governor extended the waiver. But it seems for some, no window is ever enough. Now we have no choice but to act. We need these funds to provide services like garbage collection, health care and road maintenance,” Njoroge said.
The enforcement teams will begin with high-value properties in areas such as Westlands, Upper Hill, Kilimani and Industrial Area, before expanding to residential estates.
The chief officer also warned that the county is ready to publish the names of chronic defaulters if necessary, a move aimed at increasing transparency and public pressure.
“We want everyone to pay their fair share. Those who have been doing so should not carry the load for the rest,” he said.
The county’s new data system has mapped all 256,000 parcels, giving enforcement officers real-time access to rate compliance information.
This, Njoroge noted, will prevent evasion and ensure that action is taken swiftly.
The county government is projecting to collect over Sh10 billion in outstanding rates if compliance improves, funds it says are essential for transforming Nairobi’s service delivery and infrastructure.
Residents are being urged to check their land rate status through the Nairobi Revenue Portal and make immediate arrangements to clear any arrears to avoid penalties.
