Kericho County crafts new strategy to rein in debtors

Kericho Finance executive Patrick Mutai. [Nikko Tanui, Standard]

Land rates and land rent defaulters can run but have nowhere to hide.

That is the message from Kericho County Government which has come up with a new way to force defaulters to pay the over Sh500 million they owe the county.

Finance executive Patrick Mutai said they have adopted the “twinning” of land rates and land rent payment and the issuance of single business permits.

“Previously, we used to give out waivers but the response was not there. But now, single business permits issuance for 2019 will be based on valid land rates and land rent clearance certificate from the department of Land, Housing and Physical Planning,” he said.

Dr Mutai further said they would not accept any certificate of land clearance not issued by the county government.

He asked landlords to visit county revenue offices to verify their land rates and land rate payment status.

“This applies to all the plot owners having genuine certificate of lease or letters of allotment,” said Mutai.

Lands executive Barnabas Ngeno gave plot owners with genuine title deeds or allotment letters up to March 15 to obtain land rent and land rates clearance certificates.

“All parcels of land whose rates will remain unpaid or outstanding or have not been developed will revert to the county (government) at the expiry of the deadline,” he said.

Ngeno, also told banks and other financial institutions which intend to accept ownership documents of leasehold land that they must obtain consent from the county government.