Looting and Intimidation Undermine Legitimate Efforts to Recover Unpaid Land Rates in Nairobi
A justified crackdown by Nairobi City County to recover billions of Kenyan Shillings in unpaid land rates has descended into abuse, lawlessness, and impunity. Residents across Nairobi are protesting what they describe as an apparent extortion scheme perpetrated by rogue city enforcement officers (askaris) during property clamping and eviction exercises.
Reports from estates such as Zimmerman, Roysambu, and Eastleigh paint a grim picture of systemic harassment and theft. Residents recount how uniformed askaris descend on residential buildings under the pretext of clamping or eviction, only to loot household items, including television sets, gas cookers, kitchenware, and sound systems.
Victims describe harrowing scenes where tenants are forcibly removed from their homes, often without warning, and their belongings dumped or stolen in the chaos. Residents warn that this trend is dehumanising and a serious infringement of their rights.
“I paid my land rates in full months ago,” said John Kamau, a property owner in Zimmerman, “but due to outdated payment records at City Hall, the payment isn’t reflected. Instead of resolving this, they sent askaris who harassed my tenants and vandalised the gate.”
Such incidents are widespread. Numerous landlords report being unfairly targeted due to technical errors in county payment systems that fail to record timely payments. Even when receipts are presented, askaris allegedly dismisses them and proceeds with enforcement actions.
Residents are calling on Governor Johnson Sakaja to restore order. While the county’s right to collect owed land rates is undisputed, the manner of enforcement has sparked outrage. Residents insist that clamping must be conducted humanely and that tenants, who are often not the direct defaulters, should not bear the brunt of the county’s inefficiencies.
Property owners are urging the governor to overhaul City Hall’s record-keeping systems, which are unreliable and prone to errors. They also demand a transparent grievance redress mechanism for those wrongly targeted.
