The county Government of Kiambu announced a crackdown on landlords with multi-million properties who have defaulted on land rates.
Speaking to the media, Kiambu Governor James Nyoro affirmed that a crackdown has begun on 2,000 top defaulters who have property in areas such as Ruaka, Thika, along Kiambu road and Kenyatta road.
"We know these people as they have set up big properties in various areas. So we're telling them to get ready and pay up," Nyoro stated.
He stated that the county government would impose hefty penalties on the defaulters who he claimed did not adhere to the set directives.
According to Nyoro, the economy dropped significantly due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic further affecting operations within the government.
He noted that measures are in place to ensure the country's Gross Domestic Product rises. In 2020, the GDP decreased by 5.7 percent due to many businesses collapsing and thousands of Kenyans losing their jobs.
Further, Nyoro also launched cheaper housing facilities within Kiambu county to enable Kenyans to purchase the houses at affordable rates. He added that the initiative was to facilitate the Big 4 agenda launched by the government in 2017.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, as part of his developmental blueprint, set out to build 500,000 new affordable houses in a bid to curb the housing menace that had become rampant in the country.
Uhuru added that the aim is to reduce the cost of homeownership by 50%, create 300,000 new jobs in the construction sector and reduce the low-income housing gap by 60%.
"I am dedicating the energy, time and resources of my Administration to the Big Four. The Big Four will create jobs, which will enable our people to meet their basic needs," Uhuru stated.
