Nairobi County seizes four buildings, targets 20 more over failure to pay land rates
The operation, launched on Tuesday by enforcement officers from City Hall, involved clamping buildings whose owners have allegedly failed to pay land rates amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.
At least four buildings have been seized in Nairobi’s central business district (CBD) as part of a new clampdown by the Nairobi City County government.
The operation, launched on Tuesday by enforcement officers from City Hall, involved clamping buildings whose owners have allegedly failed to pay land rates amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.
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Nairobi County Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge, who led the operation, said the clampdown was a necessary step after repeated attempts to secure voluntary compliance failed.
He noted that another 20 properties will be targeted on Wednesday, with hundreds more expected to follow in a broader effort to recover over Sh10 billion in unpaid land rates.
“We have clamped properties in the CBD today with land rate arrears amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings. We’ve given them ample time to show goodwill in payment, but they have failed us,” Njoroge said.
The operation is only the first phase of a broader plan, with enforcement expected to intensify in high-end residential and commercial neighbourhoods starting Wednesday.
“Tomorrow, we will be clamping 20 more properties in high-end areas. It’s important to note that we are targeting hundreds of such buildings,” he warned.
Njoroge revealed that of the 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi, only 50,000 are compliant with land rate payments, translating to a compliance rate of just 20 per cent.
“If all parcels paid what is due, we’d be collecting billions, and we wouldn’t be struggling to settle our pending bills,” he said.
The operation, launched on Tuesday by enforcement officers from City Hall, involved clamping buildings whose owners have allegedly failed to pay land rates amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings. (X/Sakaja Johnson)
The county government, which has long grappled with a ballooning wage bill and stalled development projects, says the persistent revenue shortfall, exacerbated by widespread land rate evasion, is undermining service delivery.
“It’s a sad affair. 80 per cent of landowners who don’t pay land rates still expect timely and quality services from us. That’s simply not sustainable,” Njoroge added.
City Hall has previously offered several amnesty windows and issued public notices urging landowners to clear their arrears, but compliance has remained low. Njoroge said the county is now taking a firmer stance to plug revenue leakages.
Sources within the county government said the enforcement operation is being coordinated with support from legal and administrative departments. A comprehensive list of defaulters has already been compiled, with officials warning that more drastic measures, including property auctions and legal action, could follow for those who fail to comply.
“This is not just about enforcement; it’s about restoring fairness and sustainability,” one official said.
“For too long, compliant property owners have carried the burden while others have taken advantage of the system. That is coming to an end.”
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