Nairobi County seeks court order to auction land rate defaulters’ properties

The Nairobi City County Government has moved to court seeking orders to auction properties belonging to land rate defaulters, as its ongoing crackdown enters the third consecutive week.

Finance County Executive Committee Member (CEC) Charles Kerich confirmed that the county has compiled a list of properties that have been clamped, whose owners have failed to settle their outstanding land rates.

“This is the third week of the operation, and we are continuing with the crackdown,” said Kerich. “We have identified properties whose owners remain unwilling to pay. We are now seeking court approval to auction these properties to the highest bidders.”

Kerich emphasised the unsustainable burden of non-compliance, noting that only about 20 per cent of landowners in Nairobi are paying land rates.

“We cannot have just a fifth of landowners carrying the entire financial load while everyone expects the same level of service delivery,” he said.

In a further step to compel compliance, the county is working with the Ministry of Lands to place caveats on properties that have been clamped. Once the caveats are registered, affected landowners will be restricted from developing, selling, or securing loans against the properties until their arrears are cleared.

“Once confirmed by the Ministry, the caveats will effectively freeze any transactions on the affected properties until the outstanding land rates are paid,” Kerich explained.

He underscored the critical role land rate revenue plays in the county’s ability to deliver basic services.

“If everyone paid what they owe, the county would have sufficient resources to repair roads, supply medicine to hospitals, and provide clean water across all estates. We are calling for fairness from residents and accountability from the county,” he added.

Kerich noted that the enforcement operation is not limited to the current financial year and will continue indefinitely. He urged residents to comply voluntarily to avoid legal action.

“This operation is ongoing. Even after June, court actions will persist. If you receive a court order, don’t panic—just comply. This is about fairness, civic responsibility, and sustainable service delivery,” he concluded.