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Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero has asked Karen and Lang’ata residents to directly pay their rates to the County government.
“It is morally wrong for the residents of the opulent Karengata area to expect the less financially endowed segment of city population to pay for services in the Karengata area. Over the years, Karengata Association has incited its members against paying county government rates, leaving the burden to be carried by areas such as Eastlands which faithfully pay their rates and other dues. This must stop,” said Kidero.
Kidero added that the High Court in a judgment delivered on September 21, 2015 ordered the residents to pay all dues directly to the city government since it (the county government) is providing services to citizens, something which was lacking when the order not to pay to the City Council was made.
The judgment observed that the Karengata District Association was relying on the repealed 1963 Constitution and the repealed Local Government Act.
The Governor warned that since the ruling by Justice George Odunga, the county government will not hesitate to take measures against property owners who fail to pay their due rates whose penalties will be applicable at three per cent per month in arrears.
Rate payment is one of the top revenue earners for the county and the Karen and Langata District Association got an order to deposit the money they collected from members in an escrow account to be operated by the then City Council and the association.
The County government, when it came to office, discovered that Karengata had never remitted any amount to that escrow account.
