Tenants living in county houses to pay Sh1000 extra for extensions

Kisumu, Kenya: Tenants living in Kisumu County houses will pay Sh1000 per month for every structure extended in their compound if the Finance Bill 2014 Bill is passed.

The county government seemed to have softened their stand on the existence of the extensions they claimed to be generating a lot of cash for tenants in county houses.

Members of the County assembly said it was unfair that tenants in these county houses pay less rent yet they sub-let houses and charge exorbitant rates.

Some tenants have in the past paid Sh2, 000 rent for their houses but sub-lets for instance four extensions to people who pay Sh4, 000 per month making him earn Sh16, 000 extra cash.

Kaloleni/Shauri moyo Ward representative Prisca Auma said paying the rent for the extensions was better than demolishing them altogether.

She however said the fee they will be charged should be after consultations between the county government and the tenants.

"The rent we should pay should be agreed upon by those who are affected," said Auma, whose ward lies most of these county houses.

Nominated MCA Aslam Khan called on the county government to however refurbish the old county houses before rates are increased.

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma had indicated that those living in council houses had established extensions using iron sheets and it was unfair that they charge their tenants higher than what they pay as monthly rent.

He also called on tenants who have retired to leave their houses for other new working population.

Ranguma said the move to increase rent for county houses was to correct a bad history in the county where the current rates do not match the market prices in the area.

In the Bill, the rent for a two bedroomed house in Lumumba Ondiek, Arina and Makasembo estates will be Sh4, 000. For many years the defunct councils were collecting Sh2, 000 every month before it was doubled when the devolved system took over to raise more revenue.

In Kibuye estate, tenants will part with Sh8, 000 up from Sh4, 000 in the past years. A three-bed-roomed house at Kodhek estate which was Sh4, 000 before the devolved system now costs Sh10, 000.

Arina which has four phases and a total of 525 units with two bedrooms will be Sh6, 000 up from Sh3, 000 in the past while tenants at Anderson Estate houses will part with Sh2, 000.

One-bedroomed house in Nyando Nyandiga Estate (Maseno) will be Sh4, 000 per month.

 

The county government has maintained these charges despite a court order filed by residents of Lumumba and Kibuye Estates contesting the increment of the rents.

Lumumba Estate residents Association Secretary John Odenyo welcomed the move to charge the extensions claiming it is better than demolishing.

Odenyo said this was welcomed since many tenants use the extensions for many reasons such as poultry houses and would be a loss if they were demolished.

"The county government keeps increasing rates without consulting us and I can't remember the last time they undertook repairs or maintenance," said Odenyo.

His Arina Estate counterpart Oketch Orero however stated the County government does not have the right to increase the rents since the tenants do not pay the county Government of Kisumu.

Orero said they have been paying their rents to the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and not county government of Kisumu.

"We have been paying rent to the housing corporation and therefore will not abide by what our landlord has not told us," said Orero, terming the county government's move laughable.

Arina phase one, two and three residents are also still paying Sh1, 150 for their two bedroomed houses. This amount was has steadily increased from Sh360 in 1992 to Sh1, 150 currently.

Orero added that other estates who pay rents to NHC are Makasembo, Ondiek, Argwings Kodhek and Mosque.