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{
    "id": 1268203,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1268203/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 160,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "County Government of Kiambu Headquarters, you get different valuations depending on which officer you find, his mood or what you offer him. This must be a thing of the past. Any Kenyan should know through online platforms how much rates their property is subject to. So, you will know at the beginning of the year that your one-acre property in Karachuonyo is subject to Ksh10,000 land rate. Therefore, land rates will no longer be levied at the whims of revenue officers in the county government offices. That is what is happening in our counties right now. I have made reference to the Kiambu County Government offices because I come from that county. I am also a property owner in Nairobi County and I know what happens. The amount of money you will pay in respect of land rates for your property will vary depending on which officer handles your case, which day of the week you go to the office, the mood of the officer serving you, and whether you look like someone they can talk to. So, you are given a bill depending on who you are and how you approach them. We want this to be a thing of the past, so that Kenyans can know transparently through online platforms or through a geo-positioning tag onto a land reference number in Lodwar Town, how much rates they will pay. Even banks, when advancing credit to members of the public, will know the appropriate value based on the rates being paid. Today, many banks are holding worthless title deeds as security because people colluded with valuers and government officers. So, they have collateral that is valueless. With a proper system created under this Rating Act, we will put some of these things behind us. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I spoke about the need for effective public participation and public awareness to ensure that members of the public know in advance the chargeable land rates in the various counties across the country. Even as I buy land in Narok County to grow wheat, I should know what rates the County Government of Narok will levy on that land, so that I do my arithmetic and determine whether I will make money from growing wheat. If I want to develop a block of flats in Kitengela or Mlolongo, I will know the chargeable rates in advance. In a way, we also encourage foreign direct investment into our counties from both foreign and domestic investors. We must continuously encourage people to invest across the country. For that to happen, there must be certainty on what is rate-able and the rates people are going to pay. Hon. Temporary Speaker, lastly, this Bill proposes to introduce four forms of rating. There will be an annual rent of value rates where land is rated annually and one knows with certainty how much to pay annually. There will be an area rate. As I said earlier, with global positioning and modern technology, one should determine the size of land and the amount of rate to be paid - whether it is per square metre, hectare or square foot. There is the improved site value rate and a site value rate in combination with an improvement rate. It is not fair that there are undeveloped properties even within the Central Business District (CBD). There is no improvement on that land. However, you will find that a property that has a 20-storey building, where someone is collecting about half a billion shillings in rent or income pays a rate equivalent to a person using his land within the CBD as a parking lot or renting it out to traders, like the Maasai Market on Tuesdays and respective market days. There must be that distinction on the area, whether land is improved or not. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I was even speaking about agricultural and non-agricultural land in rural constituencies and rural counties. I believe the Departmental Committee on Lands will consider bringing amendments to make sure there is a clear distinction between agricultural and non-agricultural land. I am very particular on agriculture. I have said this deliberately in moving this Bill because food insecurity is one of the greatest risks we face in this country today. The housing agenda, vilified as it is, in a way also addresses food insecurity because we are fragmenting our land. The lowest fragmentation was 50 feet by 100 feet some years back. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}