Dear all Land Rates Defaulters, finally Nairobi City Council will be descending upon you shortly. After extending the Land Rates waiver period for 10 days on August 8th 2012, the council led by Town Clerk Roba Duba feels it has spared you long enough. Today being 20th August 2012 marks the ultimate deadline for this exercise and those that haven't submitted their dues will be 'afflicted' beginning Tuesday 21st August 2012. [Read: Nairobi City Council Extends Waiver Period]

Defaulters will be handled with respect to Section 17 of the Rating Act, CAP 267 that vests the council with powers to dispose of, through the judicial process, all lands that go against outstanding land and interest rates. There will be no reprieve for defaulters because the new constitution permits land rates to be raised. Defaulters will therefore have disobeyed a constitutional requirement, which is protected by the government, and the only reprieve would be asking the court for orders to comply with such directive though at a later date.

Defaulters are going to have their properties taken over by the City Council until the total amount , that is, the actual accrued rates and penalties  are recovered.

Ironically though, City Hall itself has a debt of KES 13 billion owed to the Local Authorities Pension Trust (Laptrust)(Sh8 billion) and Equity Bank (KES 5 billion) which was apparently borrowed last year without the authority of the Ministry of Local Government.