NAIROBI, Kenya, June 8, 2025 – The Nairobi City County Government has begun formal legal proceedings to auction properties over unpaid land rates, with thousands of owners receiving final SMS alerts on Sunday.
According to Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge, more than 5,000 property owners were issued warning messages in the first batch of consolidated enforcement proceedings. A second wave of similar notifications is expected to go out beginning Monday.
“These alerts confirm that affected properties have been forwarded to auctioneers for recovery due to long-standing arrears and failure to respond to previous demand notices,” Njoroge said.
The SMS message reads in part:
“Your property LR XXX has an outstanding balance of KES XXX (Invoice No. YYY) and has been forwarded to auctioneers for recovery. Pay in full by June 30 to avoid auction. No further notice will be given before court action, as per the National Rating Act.”
Njoroge stressed that the enforcement is backed by the National Rating Act No. 15 of 2024, which empowers counties to recover outstanding land rates through direct legal action.
“This is not a threat. It’s the law in action,” he said. “Non-payment of land rates will result in auction—plain and simple.”
Beyond notifying auctioneers, the County has obtained court orders to expedite recovery and formally requested the Ministry of Lands to place caveats on affected properties, effectively blocking their sale, transfer, or development until debts are settled.
“This is about fairness,” Njoroge added. “We cannot allow prime property owners to evade taxes while small traders and ordinary citizens continue to meet their obligations.”
He noted that sustained revenue collection will directly translate into improved public services, including road repairs, hospital supplies, and access to clean water.
“The message is simple—if you receive a court order, don’t panic. Comply. Everyone must contribute to make the city work.”
The enforcement drive is expected to continue beyond the end of the financial year, with City Hall urging all defaulters to settle their arrears or risk losing their properties.
