Kakamega County Government will repossess undeveloped plots in towns and all urban areas in order to lease them to individuals who have demonstrated capacity to utilize them.
The Kakamega County Chief Valuer, Jamlax Barasa, said some plots leased to individuals are lying idle, lacking infrastructure that would enable the county government to generate revenue.
“If the government allocated you land in town and you have not developed it, we will come and take it and give somebody who is able to develop it,” he noted.
He was speaking at the Kakamega Social Hall on Monday during a public participation forum on the Kakamega County Draft Valuation Roll.
Valuation rolls are records of the value of land within a county, which may be used to determine the rates that property owners have to pay to the county government.
Barasa said the new valuation roll was necessary in order to capture all properties, as some had undergone succession, subdivision, and transfers, and their value has since appreciated.
He noted that the county government intends to expand the coverage of the collection of land rates in a bid to increase revenue collection.
He said plots that are within municipalities and are under freehold, with commercial buildings, properties, and industries, and enjoy services of the county government, would be required to pay land rates.
“The areas within the municipality and urban areas that are under freehold are Amalemba, Shirere, Joyland, Maraba, Kefinco, and Mwiyala, among others,” Barasa explained.
He said the only exception is parcels of land that are classified as Agricultural Freeholds which will not be subjected to land rates as required by the law.
“The intention is to capture a wider area so that we reduce the burden of those who are currently paying land rates. We want more people to contribute in paying the rates so that we collect enough rates since the amount collected currently is not much,” he noted.
By Albert Muteshi and Lindsay Kisango
