Nairobi County Clamps Freemasons’ Hall Over Sh19 Million Land Rate Debt

Nairobi County officials on Tuesday sealed off the Grand Lodge of East Africa’s Freemasons’ Hall in the city center as the county government intensifies its crackdown on land rate defaulters across the capital.

The enforcement action targeted the prominent establishment over an outstanding debt of Sh19 million in unpaid land rates, according to county officials who led the operation.

“This particular premises owes Nairobi County over Sh19 million in land rates arrears,” said Revenue Team Leader Suzanne Silantoi, who spearheaded the enforcement alongside Chief Officer for Revenue Lydia Mathia.

The clampdown forms part of a broader campaign by the county government to recover millions in unpaid land rates from property owners throughout Nairobi.

Officials warned that enforcement measures would extend beyond clamping to include disconnection of essential services.

“We will not only be clamping properties belonging to defaulters, but we are also moving to disconnect services such as water and sewer lines where necessary,” Silantoi added.

County representatives emphasized that the enforcement followed established legal protocols, including issuing demand notices and publishing warnings in local newspapers.

“Before any clamping is done, we issue demand notices and publish the same in local dailies instructing landowners to settle outstanding rates,” explained Silantoi.

“Failure to comply gives us the legal mandate to clamp.”

The county’s records reveal a troubling compliance rate, with only 50,000 of the approximately 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi current on their land rate payments—a mere 20 percent compliance rate.

Mathia acknowledged that while tenants might be inconvenienced by such enforcement actions, the county is within its legal rights to disconnect services from non-compliant property owners.

“If you can’t pay land rates, how do you expect to benefit from county services?” Mathia questioned. “It is unfortunate that tenants may suffer due to their landlords’ negligence.”

The aggressive revenue collection drive comes as Nairobi County grapples with financial challenges attributed to an increasing wage bill, delayed infrastructure projects, and gaps in service delivery.

“We are determined to recover what is owed to the county,” Silantoi declared. “This is just the beginning.”