Nairobi land rates set to change after 40 years

Nairobi County together with Nairobi Metropolitan Services are set to roll out a new property valuation system that is set to determine land rates.

The new geographical information system-based mass valuation that is set to be rolled out between the current financial year and the next will be used to value properties based on market value and rates.

Set to cost at least Sh160 million, it is contained in the County Annual Development Plan for 2020/2021.

It is expected that the expansion will increase the number of properties in the supplementary valuation roll by 5,000.

Since 2013, a total of 24,780 properties have been added to rating database, taking the tally to 156,000 in the proposed 2019 valuation roll.

"During the 2019/20, the department of valuations and property management was able to complete the development of the county's GIS-based mass valuation roll which will be implemented from the FY 2020/2021," reads the plan by County Finance and Economic Planning Executive Allan Igambi.

"The department aims at implementing the new roll, and improving the utility value of City Hall Annex by repairing the plumbing works, electrical and tarmacking the two basement floors parking areas," it says.

The new valuation roll draft has been submitted to the Nairobi County Assembly for approval.

City Hall has been working on a new valuation roll since 2016 to update a 1980 list that has never been touched.

A Commission on Revenue Allocation report released this year shows City Hall loses about Sh188 billion in uncollected land rates every financial year.

In the financial year ending June 30, the county government collected Sh1.9 billion in land rates against a target of Sh3.9 billion.