The County Government of Mombasa has extended its interest and penalty waiver on sh8.5 billion in outstanding land rate arrears owed to the county.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday at the Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company (MOWASCO) offices, Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir announced that the waiver, which was set to expire, has been extended until the end of the month.
“We have extended the waiver on land rates to give defaulters a final chance to comply,” said Governor Nassir.
“After this period, we will hand over all outstanding arrears to debt collectors to recover the sh8.5 billion owed to the County Government of Mombasa. I urge all those in default to act now and avoid enforcement,” he added.
Governor Nassir warned that, beyond debt collection, the county will implement additional enforcement measures. These may include instructing tenants to redirect rent payments toward settling arrears, demarcating properties, halting any developments on affected land, and, in extreme cases, auctioning properties.
“There’s a piece of legislation that President William Ruto signed, the National Rating Act, which allows counties to use all available means to recover land rates, which are a key source of revenue to counties,” he said.
The governor emphasized that funds collected from land rates will be directed toward infrastructure development and reducing the county’s dependence on allocations from the national government.
“Our salaries and operational costs still rely heavily on the national government. To build our hospitals and improve infrastructure, we must become more self-reliant. This money is essential. I urge residents to take advantage of this opportunity to clear their arrears,” said the County Chief.