Nairobi County has issued a fresh warning to landowners to clear outstanding land rates before the December 31 deadline, saying the waiver period will not be extended.
With only a few days remaining, the county’s Receiver of Revenue, Tiras Njoroge, said Nairobi will begin strict enforcement measures in January under the National Rating Act to recover unpaid land rates.
“This waiver is the last soft landing. Once it expires on December 31, we will fully apply the law, including the provisions of the National Rating Act, to recover outstanding land rates,” Njoroge said.
He explained that the festive season waiver was designed as a final opportunity for landowners to regularise their accounts before tougher action begins. Any unpaid rates after December 31 will attract full interest and penalties.
Njoroge noted that poor compliance has continued to strain county finances, with only a small number of landowners meeting their obligations.
“It is unfair that only about 20 percent of Nairobi landowners are currently paying land rates, leaving a small group of compliant ratepayers to shoulder the cost of essential county services,” he added.
He said land rates are a major source of funding for key services such as road maintenance, waste management, healthcare, and public lighting, warning that continued non-payment is not sustainable.
“This is not sustainable. Land rates fund roads, waste management, health services, public lighting and other critical functions. The county wants to correct this imbalance so that all land parcels contribute fairly to service delivery. Enforcement will proceed strictly within the law,” Njoroge said.
The county also cautioned landowners against fraudsters claiming they can help process land rates payments. Njoroge urged residents to use only official channels, including county sub-county revenue offices and the Nairobi Pay online platform.
Earlier, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that out of about 250,000 registered land parcels in the county, only around 50,000 are compliant. He warned that the low compliance rate is affecting service delivery and said the county is considering tougher legal measures, including clamping buildings owned by persistent defaulters.
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