Officers of the Nairobi City County Government today shut down the District Grand Lodge of Freemasons in East Africa on Nyerere Avenue within the CBD.
The unprecedented enforcement operation was led by Health CECM Suzanne Silantoi, Chief Officer Office of the Governor Priscilla Mahinda and Chief Officer for Housing Lydia Mathia.
The operation is part of a countywide swoop on rates defaulters.
Addressing the media during the operation CECM Silantoi said that the operation will also cover the disconnection of essential amenities.
“We will not only be clamping properties belonging to defaulters, but we are also moving to disconnect services such as water and sewer lines where necessary. This premises alone owes KES 19 million in land rate arrears.”
The City County officials further clarified that due process was followed in the clampdown including the issuance of demand notices and public warnings.
“Before any clamping is done, we issue demand notices and publish the same in local dailies instructing landowners to settle outstanding rates,” Silantoi explained. “Failure to comply gives us the legal mandate to clamp.”
Freemasons are known to be an exclusive club of wealthy members and the rate defaulting has left many people surprised.
The Chief Officer Lydia Mathia stated that while the regretted the inconveniences that may arise during enforcement to tenants, they were still within the law to disconnect essential services for non-compliant property owners.
“Disconnection of such services is within the law,” she said. “If you can’t pay land rates, how do you expect to benefit from county services? It is unfortunate that tenants may suffer due to their landlords’ negligence.”
According to County records, out of approximately 256,000 parcels of land registered in Nairobi, only 50,000 are currently up to date with payment of land rates—representing a compliance rate of just 20 percent.
This means the City County has an outstanding KES 10 billion to collect in land rates.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja has made it clear that property owners who are in arrears will have their buildings marked, clamped, and notices issued to tenants, advising them to redirect rent payments directly to the Nairobi County revenue account until the debts are cleared.
Land rates are a major conduit of Own-source revenue for the Nairobi City County Government.
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