The Nairobi County Revenue Department on Tuesday, May 14 clamped the Grand Lodge of East Africa’s Freemasons’ Hall in the city center over a land rate default amounting to KSh19 million.

The enforcement operation, led by Health CEC Suzanne Silantoi, Chief Officer Office of the Governor, Priscilla Mahinda, and Chief Officer for Housing Lydia Mathia, is part of a wider county campaign targeting rate defaulters across the capital.

“This particular premises owes Nairobi County over KSh19 million in land rates arrears,” said Silantoi during the operation. “We will not only be clamping properties belonging to defaulters, but we are also moving to disconnect services such as water and sewer lines where necessary.”

According to county officials, the Freemasons’ Hall was clamped following due process, including the issuance of demand notices and public warnings.

“Before any clamping is done, we issue demand notices and publish the same in local dailies instructing landowners to settle outstanding rates,” Silantoi explained. “Failure to comply gives us the legal mandate to clamp.”

Chief Officer Mathia noted that while the enforcement may inconvenience tenants, the law permits the county to disconnect services for non-compliant property owners.

“Disconnection of such services is within the law,” she said. “If you can’t pay land rates, how do you expect to benefit from county services? It is unfortunate that tenants may suffer due to their landlords’ negligence.”

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County records paint a grim picture: of the approximately 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi, only 50,000 are currently up to date with their land rates—representing a compliance rate of just 20 percent.

The county government has long struggled with financial strain brought on by a ballooning wage bill, stalled infrastructure projects, and service delivery gaps. Officials say improved land rate compliance is crucial to reversing the county’s worsening fiscal health.

“We are determined to recover what is owed to the county,” said Silantoi. “This is just the beginning.”