Kajiado: Lenku orders review of land rates

The County Lands department and Treasury have been ordered to review land rates.

Governor Joseph ole Lenku (pictured) directed Lands and Urban Planning CEC Hamilton Parseina and Finance CEC Alais Kisota to immediately convene a meeting with stakeholders to review levies.

 "There is the Finance Act, which the county uses to charge land rates. I want a multi-sectoral meeting, where we shall agree on what to pay land rates for and what to exempt. We have the intention to lessen the burden of the traders," said the governor.

He spoke when the county launched an e-payment platform in Kitengela town yesterday.

 "We want to do away with the cat-and-mouse game between businessmen and county reinforcement officers. We want people to concentrate on businesses," he said.

 Mr Kisota said digital payments would double revenue collection. 

"We have a target of Sh1.5 billion. Last year we collected Sh726 million." MCAs Francis Kaesha (Oloosirkon Sholinke) and Paul Matuyia (Kitengela) said the new platform would reduce corruption in the revenue department. [Peterson Githaiga]