Nairobi County Chief Executive Committee member for Finance and Economic Planning Charles Kerich now says Governor Johnson Sakaja has opposed using force in dealing with hawkers and matatu operators in the Central Business District.
Speaking on Monday, May 27, 2024, on a local radio station, Kerich indicated that Sakaja pushed for a system overhaul in the city by adopting a more people-centred approach to dealing with city issues.
According to the CEC, Sakaja is more focused on educating the citizens instead of using force to clamp them down. Due to the shift in policy, Kerich argued that the city has recorded low instances of chaos involving hawkers, matatu operators and the county askaris.
"You know the style of administration of Governor Sakaja has always been not to harass the mwananchi, that is why he is really opposed to this thing of rungus chasing hawkers down. We have not had any teargas with hawkers in the last one and half years neither with the matatu people," Kerich stated.
"We sit at City Hall and they raise their issues and sometimes they realise the issues are amongst themselves… they realise it is not even a county problem so we then come in to mediate. The philosophy of helping people pay instead of chasing them down is what we are trying to pursue," he insisted.
However, Kerich noted that the strategy has its downsides which has affected some sectors of the county.
"We will get down to serious enforcement but this thing of people being bundled into a truck that was waiting downstairs and being driven around the city all day stopped for good," the CEC added.
To make the new policy effective, Kerich appealed to the public to reciprocate especially in paying land rates. According to the County Chief Executive Committee member for Finance and Economic Planning, hundreds of city property owners are at risk of being auctioned for failing to remit their land rates.
Despite the waivers, Kerich lamented that thousands of Nairobi residents who own parcels of land have refused to honour their obligation.
Land rates issue
His sentiments come after Nairobi printed a list of property owners who have failed to pay their land rates. In a notice published on Friday May 24, 2024, Sakaja's administration listed areas in Westlands, Starehe, Ruaraka, Roysambu, Mathare, Makadara, Langata, Kasarani, Kibra, Embakasi West, Embakasi South, Embakasi North, Embakasi East, Embakasi Central, Dagoretti South, Dagoretti North where owners have not paid their due land rates.
“The owners of the following listed properties are advised to ensure that they pay outstanding land rates arrears owed to Nairobi City County Government otherwise the properties shall be subject to penalty interest and enforcement actions including auctions by the Nairobi City County Government,” the notice read in part.
In the notice, Sakaja's administration also exposed some various government agencies for failing to remit the required land rates to the county.
Failure to pay the amount in question which ranges from Ksh50,000 to Ksh30 billion, Sakaja's administration threatened to auction their property.
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