County Assembly of Kakamega Committee on Lands, Housing, Urban Areas and Physical Planning, on Monday engaged the public in collection views on the proposed County Valuation Roll,2025.
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. County government of Kakamega is set to have an updated valuation roll and spatial plan amid calls from locals to be exempted from rates in freehold areas.
According to the County Valuer, Mr. Mukudi Barasa, the current Valuation Roll was adopted in 1987 and that the county governmenme came up with a fresh Valuation Roll in the year 2021 comprising projects and freeholds.
The Valuer noted that those residing in freeholds around towns will be subjected to 0.13% (percent) of the property owned, while freeholds within the Central Business District (CBD) will pay 0.17%.
Major towns will have a rate of 0.13% and smaller towns/markets will pay Kshs. 1,800. “Once your property is ratable, you will have been empowered as the owner of the property to demand for better services from the government,” remarked the Mr. Mukudi adding that the county government will be the custodian of land records once rating is done.
Business Community Representative and a member to the National Chamber of Commerce , FCPA Wycliffe Kibichi, was however of the view that the process of preparing the Valuation Roll was not consultative enough
and that it was based on a few individuals reached. Kibichi warned of a legal battle if the process of ratifying the County Valuation Roll does not conform to tenets of law.
“Your presentation was a response to a few (people) whi wrote to you,” he noted, “if not done right, the whole process will be subjected to a legal process,” he cautioned. His views were echoed by the Governance Consultant Mr. Maclean Khatete Mumia who insisted that the Constitution of Kenya must be followed and respected to the latter throughout the process. “Each and every freehold in rural areas should be visited ………..and any resolution done must adhere to our Constitution and be put in writing,” noted Khatete.
The Hon. Timothy Anzetse-led Committee is set to retreat and compile a comprehensive report that will be tabled in the House for deliberations and consideration. “The process of drafting and holding consultations on the draft County Valuation Roll has taken long and when the document was forwarded to the County Assembly by the County Executive ,we are dictated by law as the county legislature to subject the Valuation Roll to public participation to collect views. I want to assure the residents of Kakamega and the public in general that their views will be considered by the Committee before the report goes to the House for consideration ,” reassured Hon. Anzetse.