Tenants subletting multi-million ‘Kanjo’ houses put on notice

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. [Photo: Courtesy]

City residents who sublet county houses have been asked to stop forthwith or the houses will be repossessed.

This means that should the Governor Mike Sonko-led administration crack the whip on culprits, 90 per cent of the tenants will lose their houses. 

In an advert in the local dailies, the Acting County Secretary, Leboo Morintat, indicated that houses that have been illegally transferred would be repossessed and re-allocated to other deserving residents without further communication.

“It is illegal to irregularly transfer, trade in, assign and sublet any county rental house. Any transfers done without following the legal process including payment of pre-requisite fees are un-procedural, null and void,” said Morintat.

The county secretary went on to state that the city administration had laid down a procedure of transferring county rental houses.

A spot check by Metropolitan established that there are over 16,000 council houses. However, most people who were allocated the county government houses have died or retired, and those still alive, have sublet them to new tenants at higher rates.

Higher rents

Notably, those living in houses mainly in Eastlands pay approximately between Sh2,000 and Sh20,000. City Hall levies a monthly rent of Sh10,000 for three-bedroom units, while the same houses are let to secondary tenants at the market rate of Sh30,000 per month.

Other estates include Kaloleni, Jericho, Ziwani, Jerusalem (Salem) Lumumba, Uhuru, and Maringo among other Nairobi City Council estates.

A one-bedroom apartment attracts a monthly rent of approximately Sh5,000 paid to the City Hall, but is let to secondary tenants at Sh15,000.

The tenants have lately been paying higher rates for their residences after Governor Evans Kidero signed the Nairobi County Finance Act into law to increase revenue of the county government.

According to reports, the last time the county government upgraded, or repaired the houses was approximately 15 years ago. Most council houses have burst sewers, leaking roofs, and deplorable roads.

Additionally, Leboo urged those with rent arrears to make sure they cleared them before February 5 lest they get kicked out.

“Notice is hereby given that all tenants living in Nairobi County rental houses with accumulated rent arrears should clear the same with immediate effect,” read the notice.