Council threatens to auction property over non-payment of rates

By Renson Mnyamwezi

All properties with outstanding rates in Taita-Taveta County shall be repossessed, the local council has warned.

In a general public notice given by the council yesterday, property rates defaulters have been given three months notice to clear their debts or else their properties would be repossessed and auctioned.

“We’ve given 100 per cent waiver of penalties and interests with effect from October 1 to December 30. Defaulters should take advantage of this waiver to avoid losing their property upon expiry of the waiver to recover the outstanding rates,” said the County Clerk Michael Njogu.

He said among the rate defaulters include prominent politicians, personalities and businessmen in the region.

Expiry of waiver

“Upon expiry of the waiver, the council will publish names of the debtors and the amount they owe to the council for auction,” warned Mr Njogu.

Speaking to The Standard, the Clerk said the high rate of defaulting was adversely affecting service delivery to the public.

The local authority is indebted to the tune of more than Sh31 million.

Taita-Taveta Council Treasurer Gideon Karisa noted that outstanding debts have adversely affected service delivery and also led to stalling of several projects.

Outstanding debts

“The council cannot effectively deliver essential service to the public due to outstanding debts. Something must be done to rectify the situation,” Karisa said. He made the remarks during a special full council meeting in Wundanyi town.

He told the meeting chaired by the county council chairman Arresmus Mwarabu that plot and property rate defaulters owes the council more than Sh7.8 million, contribution in lieu of rates (Sh15 million), staff outstanding imprest (Sh6.6 million), among others.