Taita Taveta County Government has announced a 100 per cent waiver on all penalties and interests relating to land rates.
In a public notice on Wednesday, April 9, the Taita Taveta Governor, Andrew Mwadime, confirmed that the waiver period will last until May 30, 2025.
Mwadime has urged land rate payers in the county to ensure that they pay their rates before the waiver ends to avoid attracting their original principal, interest, and penalties.
"The County Government of Taita Taveta, with the approval of the Governor Dr. Andrew Mwadime-Wakujaa, E.G.H., hereby gives notice to Land Rate Payers in default that, in pursuant to section 5 (1) of the Taita Taveta County Tax Waivers Administration Act 2014, a 100% waiver of interest and penalties on outstanding rates has been granted," the notice read.
"The money can be deposited into the following bank account details: Account Name: Taita Taveta County Revenue Collection Account, Account Number: 1140754017, Branch: Wundanyi, Bank Name: Kenya Commercial Bank," he added.
The announcement comes two months after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said that the county government would halt waivers for land rate defaulters.
Speaking on January 29, 2025, the governor said that the county would take action against land rate defaulters by auctioning their properties.
According to the governor, out of the 255,000 land parcels in the city, only 50,000 accounts could be traced, leaving 205,000 land parcels missing and unaccounted for.
“We gave these guys time; last year we gave waivers; this year, there is no waiver. I am sorry,” he said.
“We are going to take legal action. The Physical Land Use Planning Act gives us the authority to do that, and when your property is being auctioned, you will care. We will do it through the courts, and we will not be the first ones to do so,” he added.
The governor emphasised that to accelerate developments in the capital, the county must generate revenue.
“Nairobians want schools now, roads, and medicine in hospitals. We are feeding school children, so if we don’t do this, we will not be able to fulfil these development projects,” he said.
