NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19- Thirty percent of Kenyan households were unable to pay their rent on time for the month of April, with the majority – at 60 percent – paying on time, according to a new study.
A survey conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on households and individuals shows a minute group of people’s rent burden was lifted in the month of April.
“Only 8.7 percent of households who took part in the survey received a rent waiver last month,”
A survey conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on households and individuals shows that Kenyans have continued to feel the pinch of the virus which has led reduced loss of job, delayed income earnings causing late payment of rental charges.
“The main reason for the households’ inability to pay rent for the month of April was the reduced income earnings,” reads the report.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics surveyed 15,840 respondents who took part in the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews conducted between May 2 and May 9.
The bureau said that the randomly selected several individuals from all the 47 counties in the survey.
However, out of the 15,840 interviewees, 60 percent of them said that they paid their rent comfortably on the agreed date.
The report comes a month later after Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had urged landlords to consider their tenants who are facing the virus effects.
“Landlords should be a bit sensitive towards tenants and remember that people are not in the situation where they always are,” said Kagwe.
Central Organization Trade Union (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli had also urged landlords to exempt Kenyans from paying rent for the next three months as the country battles COVID-19 pandemic which has already scuttled numerous businesses.
