County Government Holds Ground on Contested New Valuation Roll
Machakos County’s leadership is digging in over a disputed update to how properties are valued for tax purposes, brushing aside a push from county lawmakers to put the new system on hold.
Nathaniel Nganga, who oversees Lands, Housing, Urban Development, Roads and Transport for the county, told reporters that the Assembly’s attempt to freeze the rollout has no real legal weight behind it and skipped steps required by law.
“You cannot, without regard for procedures and legal provisions, revisit matters already passed by the same assembly in a proper sitting,” Nganga said, accusing the Assembly of trying to undo a decision after the fact.
He traced the valuation roll’s authority back to the National Rating Act of 2024, stressing that any tweaks to it have to go through formal legislative steps. The problem, he said, is that the Assembly still hasn’t updated the older Machakos County Rating Act of 2014 to match what the newer national law requires.
Nganga was blunt about the limits of what a motion can actually achieve: a money bill like the Finance Act, or the valuation roll itself, simply can’t be suspended through such a measure.
He framed the new valuation system as a step toward a more even-handed approach to property taxation countywide, pointing out that the values themselves weren’t set locally but by valuers from the national government — and that they sit below what properties would actually fetch on the open market.
Recognizing that residents might feel the pinch, the county has walked the rate down dramatically: from 2 percent initially, to 0.5 percent, and now to just 0.2 percent, after listening to feedback from the public. Put together, that’s close to a 90 percent cut from where things started — a move Nganga says strikes a balance between easing the burden on property owners and keeping enough revenue flowing for county projects and services.
There’s also more breathing room for anyone behind on payments: the county’s waiver scheme, which forgives certain penalties, has been pushed back by another month.
“In line with this commitment, the County Executive has decided to extend the land rates waiver period for a further one month,” Nganga confirmed.
He wrapped up by appreciating residents for staying compliant and encouraged them to keep settling their dues on time, noting how much county development and service delivery depend on revenue collected locally.
