Former Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko has indicated that he will issue an executive order exempting all religious institutions in Nairobi from paying land taxes during his tenure.In a statement released Monday morning, the former governor backed city pastor James Ng’ang’a.
Ng’ang’a accused the county government of attempting to blackmail him by claiming Ksh10 million in land rate arrears.
Sonko further stated that the executive order was still in place and would only be declared null and void if a successor administration ordered it.
Sonko stated in the executive order that mosques and madrasas, as well as homes for the elderly, impoverished, and children’s homes, were excluded from the ban.
Mama Mboga’s outstanding license fees were also waived at the time.“My attention has been drawn to a video clip of Pastor Ngang’a over the unpaid rates to the Nairobi City county government,” he confirmed.
“Yes, the Pastor is right and without fear of contradiction, I vividly remember and do hereby confirm that I lawfully, through an executive order, gave a waiver to all religious institutions and organisations, including all mosques, madrasas, churches, and even homes for the aged, the poor and children’s homes.” He continued: “I extended waivers to Mama Mbogas, whose license arrears were also waived. All the waivers were done according to county bylaws and are valid unless revoked by my successors.”
In his impassioned speech to the county over the weekend, the pastor alleged that the Johnson Sakaja administration had not rescinded the waiver since taking office.
“I was given a letter by Mike Sonko, who gave us a waiver on churches in town. I have the papers. Since you came into office, you’ve never given us a letter to cancel it,” the pastor insisted.
“Write me a letter cancelling the waiver given by Mike Sonko, who was the governor. I’ve not declined to pay,” he added.
“Write me a letter saying you’ve revoked the waiver. You charge me your own rates through a letter. If you want cash, I’ll give you cash.”
The founder of the Neno Evangelism Centre dismissed the county’s proceedings as politically motivated, claiming that Ksh10 million was only a drop in his wealth, equivalent to the cost of his shoes.
He also accused the county government of orchestrating an extortion campaign against long-standing institutions in the county, citing the recent closure of the Freemasons’ Hall earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Tiras Njoroge, Nairobi County’s Receiver of Revenue, has launched a campaign to reclaim billions of shillings in unpaid land charges.
Njoroge stated that those impacted had failed to fulfil their obligations, despite the county giving them the opportunity to demonstrate goodwill by paying the arrears.
According to reports, only 50,000 of the approximately 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi are currently paying land fees, indicating an alarming compliance rate of barely 20%.
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