DO you possess a Nairobi county-issued land parcel you have left idle or which you are using but not remitting the rates to City Hall? You now have 60 days to regularise or risk having it repossessed.

Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration has issued a 60-day ultimatum to plot owners whose parcels remain unpaid for or undeveloped, warning of repossession and reallocation should the owners fail to comply with new settlement directives.

In a public notice, head of county public service Godfrey Akumali said the directive targets land parcels situated in site and service schemes, regularised informal settlements, and various urban infill areas spread across the city. The county government has observed a growing number of plots that have remained idle or unpaid for, in clear breach of their allocation terms.

“It has come to the attention of the Nairobi City county government that there are several plots within Nairobi City county site and service schemes, regularised informal settlements and infills which remain unpaid for and undeveloped, contrary to their conditions of offer,” he said.

Such parcels were originally allocated to meet specific urban development needs at the time of issuance and were never intended for speculative holding. Akumali said all county-allotted land is given under clear terms, which require beneficiaries to clear stipulated payments and initiate development within 24 months of being offered the plot.

He warned that the continued failure to fulfill these obligations renders the land economically inefficient and undermines the very purpose of its allocation. Unutilised land, he said, becomes a setback to Nairobi's urban development and service delivery goals.

Affected plot owners are now required to pay any outstanding dues and demonstrate intent to develop the parcels by submitting building plans for review and approval by the Nairobi City county government. These steps must be completed within the 60-day window to avoid repossession and reallocation without any further warning.

The notice further outlines that this exercise will not spare title holders. Individuals who have already obtained leases or certificates of lease, but whose properties are not listed in the county valuation roll, must report to designated subcounty valuation offices for assistance.

These offices have been set up in various locations including Embakasi Village at Embakasi Social Hall, Spine Road near Kayole 1 stage in Embakasi Central, Umoja I in Embakasi West, the Ruai Customer Care Centre within the Njiru deputy county commissioner’s compound in Kasarani, and in Dandora Phase 1 for plot owners in Embakasi North.

In a bid to modernise and streamline land rate billing, the county also announced a shift in how land parcels will be identified for taxation. Beginning January 1, 2026, the use of plot numbers in rate assessments will be discontinued. All billing accounts will instead rely on official land parcel numbers.

To facilitate this transition, the county will deploy technical officers to physically label parcel numbers on the gates or entrances of developed properties. This is aimed at ensuring clarity and consistency in property identification for rate purposes.

The latest directive is part of a campaign by City Hall to recover revenue lost to land rate defaulters and speculative holding. In recent months, City Hall has launched aggressive recovery drives, placing thousands of landowners on notice and threatening auctions where compliance has failed.

Instant Analysis
City Hall’s crackdown reflects growing frustration with land hoarding and revenue leakage. Whether the threat of repossession prompts compliance—or ends up in legal wrangles—remains to be seen.