City land owners to start paying higher rates in January

A section of Upper Hill, Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Property owners in Nairobi will from January start paying higher rates after City Hall yesterday gazetted a new valuation roll.

Acting County Secretary and Head of Public Service Jairus Musumba said the new rates will be based on 0.115 per cent of the current value of undeveloped land and will apply on residential, commercial and agricultural plots.

“It is notified for information of the general public that land rates levied by the Nairobi City County Government for the year 2022 shall become due on January 1, 2022,” said Mr Musumba in a gazette notice.

The changes set the stage for higher payments given that property owners have been paying rates at 25 per cent of the unimproved site value based on the 1980 valuation roll.

The county government is seeking to cash in on the appreciation of land in the capital over the past four decades, partly fuelled by an increase in demand.

However, City Hall has moved to cushion property owners from a steep rise in the payments to balance between affordability and increased own-source revenue.

It said where the new rates will be found to be more than double the current rates, the property owners will pay double their current rates - a move that will be beneficial to those owning properties in areas where land has experienced steep appreciation in value.

But where the new rates will be lower than the current rates, the latter will apply.

A valuation roll is a public legal document that contains information on all rateable property within the boundaries of a county or urban centre.