Rent for county houses to go up by 250 per cent

By LYDIAH NYAWIRA

NYERI: Tenants in houses belonging to the Nyeri County Government will be the most affected by the Finance Bill, which was tabled in the county assembly last week.

The Bill seeks to increase house rent for those living in county houses by up to 250 per cent.

The county assembly Committee on Finance and Planning is on a three-day retreat to Nanyuki to discuss the Bill.

On Thursday the public will have a chance to make their contributions to Bill.

The County Finance Bill proposes that tenants at Kimathi and Blue Valley estate in Nyeri town will pay monthly rent of Sh7,000 for one bedroom houses and Sh12,000 for two bedroom units.

Martin Wangui, a Kimathi estate resident said that was a substantial increase from the current Sh2,200 for single bedroom house and 2,700 for a double door one-bedroom house in the area.

“Those who live in two bedroom houses usually pay about Sh3500 monthly rent to the county currently,” Muiru said.

Car owners will have a reprieve on weekends as the Bill seeks to ensure they do not pay fees after 2pm on Saturdays and the whole of Sunday.

The county Bill also proposes to exempt county assembly members, county chief officers and county executive members and the speaker from paying parking fees where the areas are reserved for official purposes.

Market stall operators and small and informal traders can breathe a sigh of relief as they too have been spared from fees increase by the county Finance Bill.

Amos Muchiri, a representative of the Nyeri Alliance of Street Vendors & Informal Traders said members pay Sh450 per month or Sh15 per day while some traders opt to pay Sh2,400 per year to the county as a fee. The Bill proposes Sh2,500 per year as the fee for market stalls owners.