MOMBASA, March 30, 2023
Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Zachariah Njeru and Principal Secretary Generali Nixon Korir today led staff of the Ministry of Lands in a session with the Parliamentary committee on Lands to discuss a proposed law that is designed to boost the revenue collected by Counties.
The two officials led senior staff of the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning to brainstorm on the National Rating Bill with members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands.
The meeting at the Serena Hotel in Mombasa was also attended by senior officials of the National Treasury and the National Lands Commission.
The CS said the law is designed to create a steady inflow of revenue for the counties because they will have a law that guides them in collecting property rates.
CS Njeru emphasized on the importance of working with the County Governments, citing the collaboration between the two levels of government in the Affordable Housing Programme.
He also said that the ongoing digitization of land records will improve security of land tenure and reduce tampering with land records.
PS Korir said the new law was co-developed by the Treasury and its aim is to create a clear and unified framework to guide County Governments in revenue collection related to land properties.
“The new bill means well for the country for it will define the roles of the County Executive Committee for Finance, County Executive Committee for Lands as well as National Land Commission (NLC) thus solving any chances of conflict,” He said.
The PS noted that the new law is designed to boost counties own revenue.
NLC Chairman Gershom Otachi also concurred with the CS and the PS on the importance of the proposed law in creating an enabling environment to collect revenue.
ENDS…