Man sues over 7,000pc increase in land rates

Land

In many parts of the country, land prices have increased sharply. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

A Kisumu resident has gone to court seeking to suspend the recently gazetted Draft Valuation Roll 2017 by Governor Anyang Nyong’o’s government, which he argues imposes exorbitant property rates.

Mr John Michael Obure, a tenant of a rented property in Manyatta, wants the Kenya Gazette notice that has increased rates by up to over 7,000 per cent suspended. He also wants all proceedings and processes arising from it to be stopped pending hearing and determination of an application he has filed before the Environment and Lands Court in Kisumu.

The roll is a legal document that consists of property information of all ratable properties within a municipality.

In the suit, Mr Obure argues that should the roll go unchallenged, property owners will be subjected to increased rates up to 7, 275 per cent on free hold land and 5,343 per cent on leasehold land.

He is represented by former Law Society of Kenya president Isaac Okero.

According to the Gazette Notice dated December 24, 2020, the Draft Valuation Roll 2017 was presented before the Kisumu County Assembly meeting on December 23, 2020.

In the Gazette notice signed by County Secretary Godfrey Kigochi, any aggrieved person can lodge objections upon payment of the requisite non-refundable Sh500 fee.

“The process is incurably tainted with illegality by the failure of the respondents to adhere to mandatory provisions of the law requiring that public participation be an integral part of the process,” says Mr Obure in his petition.