The Kisumu County government has issued a clarification on the payment of land rates in the county amid claims that a court order had halted the exercise.
In an official statement signed by Deputy Governor Matthew Owili, the county government dismissed what it described as "deliberate misinformation" to mislead the public about a purported High Court order which suspended tax collections.
“In recent days, there have been calculated and deliberate misinformation and campaigns alleging that the High Court in Kisumu has stopped the applicable rate collection by the County government of Kisumu. This is not true,” the statement read in part.
While insisting no such order was issued by the courts, the county government labelled the claims as 'misguided', warning that such efforts amounted to economic sabotage, particularly at a time when the county was struggling to upscale its revenue streams.
Further, the county government emphasised that rate collection was legally grounded and was an ongoing exercise.
The malicious spread of information, according to the county, stemmed from a case involving a firm, which challenged the administration in court recently.
“What appears to be confusing is the careless interpretation given to the court directive in the case of Lake Region Traders Association vs Kisumu County Government. In this matter, the court stated that the rate collection would continue on the previous valuation roll, not the 2017 roll,” the County explained.
To end the confusion, the county government expressed its willingness to make public all relevant court documents for anyone seeking clarification on the land rate matter.
In addition, residents have been urged to fulfil their tax obligations, especially since Governor Anyang Nyong’o's administration had introduced incentives such as tax waivers to encourage compliance.
Notably, county governments in Kenya's most lucrative cities have upped their efforts to collect revenue, with Nairobi County also intensifying a crackdown on land rate defaulters.
Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson on Tuesday, May 5, spoke during the CBK Police Housing event in Industrial Area, where he defended the city government's decision to evict residents who had been living in county houses, maintaining that they had defaulted in their rent obligations for 15 years.
In April, Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga also warned land rate defaulters of enforcement action if they did not settle their arrears.
