According to Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge, the extension is a one-off administrative window meant to clear long queues and allow more ratepayers to benefit before strict enforcement resumes under the law.
Njoroge said the county was compelled to add a few days after experiencing heavy traffic from landowners seeking last-minute relief.
“We extended the waiver to January 9 purely to attend to the overwhelming queues we witnessed as the December 31 deadline approached, This is to ensure those who turned up in good faith are served. After January 9, the waiver will end, and the National Rating Act will be applied in full to all defaulters.” Njoroge explained
Njoroge reiterates that the festive waiver had been designed as a final soft landing to allow landowners to regularise their accounts before tougher measures kick in.
“This waiver is the last soft landing. Once it ends, we will fully apply the law to recover outstanding land rates, including penalties and interest,” he warned.
He noted that persistent non-compliance has unfairly burdened a small pool of compliant ratepayers, undermining the county’s capacity to deliver essential services.
“It is not sustainable that only about 20 percent of landowners are paying rates. Roads, waste management, health services and public lighting depend on this revenue. Everyone must contribute fairly,” Njoroge said.
The county also cautioned the public against fraudsters purporting to fast-track payments, advising landowners to use official channels only, including sub-county revenue offices and the Nairobi Pay platform.
Earlier, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that only about 50,000 of the city’s 250,000 registered land parcels are currently compliant, warning that the shortfall directly hampers service delivery. He has signalled tougher legal measures including clamping of properties for persistent defaulters once enforcement begins.
As the January 9 deadline approaches, City Hall is urging all landowners to act promptly, stressing that improved compliance is key to restoring fairness, boosting revenue, and sustaining services across Nairobi City County.
