The grace period for land rate payments in Nairobi has officially ended, and starting Monday, May 12, the Nairobi County Government will launch a major enforcement campaign targeting property owners who have failed to clear their arrears.
The move follows a disclosure by Governor Johnson Sakaja that only 20% of landowners roughly 50,000 out of 256,000 registered parcels have been compliant.
He termed the situation “unsustainable” and warned that decisive action was now unavoidable.
Speaking at City Hall on Friday, Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge confirmed that enforcement operations are set to begin across all sub-counties next week.
“From Monday, we will begin full enforcement. That means clamping of properties, issuing of notices, and legal proceedings for chronic defaulters,” said Njoroge.
He noted that the county had extended a generous waiver period that ended on April 30, giving landowners ample time to regularize their accounts. However, many failed to take advantage of it.
“We understand the economic hardship that’s why the Governor extended the waiver. But for some, no window is ever enough.
We now have no choice but to act,” he stated, adding that unpaid land rates are hampering essential services such as waste management, health care, and infrastructure repair.
Initial enforcement will target high-value commercial areas including Westlands, Upper Hill, Kilimani, and the Industrial Area, before expanding into residential zones.
Njoroge also warned that the county is prepared to publish the names of persistent defaulters to increase transparency and public accountability.
“Everyone must pay their fair share. It’s not right for the responsible few to carry the burden of the many,” he said.
Thanks to a newly upgraded digital mapping system, enforcement officers will now have real-time access to rate compliance data for all 256,000 land parcels, minimizing the chances of evasion.
The County Government aims to recover over Sh 10 billion in unpaid rates, which it says is critical for improving public services and infrastructure across Nairobi.
Property owners are being urged to check their status on the Nairobi Revenue Portal and settle any outstanding balances immediately to avoid penalties or legal action.
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