Nairobi County officials on Wednesday raided the historic Freemasons Hall on Nyerere Road over unpaid land rates amounting to Sh19 million, as part of an intensified countywide crackdown on defaulters.
The operation was led by Health CEC Susan Silantoi and senior officials from the revenue department, who placed a public notice of ownership on the building, declaring the property under Nairobi City County’s control until the debt is settled.
This move comes amid efforts by the county to recover approximately Sh10 billion in outstanding payments over the next two months. According to the county’s revenue team, the broader objective is to collect part of the Sh50 billion owed by various landowners across the capital.
While addressing the media during the operation, County Chief Officer for Revenue, Mr. Njoroge, warned that defaulters would face strict enforcement measures going forward.
“We have come to start our clampdown activity. We are clamping down plot number 209, which owes the county around four million shillings. We will be putting a notice on the building declaring that it belongs to Nairobi City County until all debts have been cleared,” said Njoroge.
He also noted that despite the county offering waivers and incentives for early payments, hundreds of landowners have failed to respond.
The Freemasons Hall, one of Nairobi’s iconic colonial-era buildings, is among the high-value properties now in the spotlight as the county moves aggressively to meet its revenue targets and enhance service delivery across the city.
The Nairobi County Government has emphasized that the operation will continue in the coming weeks, and all property owners with outstanding debts are urged to settle their dues promptly to avoid similar action.
