The extension comes with a 3 per cent discount for all payments made within the additional 15-day window, in a move the county says is aimed at easing congestion and allowing more residents to comply.
Speaking on Wednesday, Sakaja said the decision was prompted by overwhelming turnout at county service centres, where some queues stretched beyond official working hours.
He added that the extension would help decongest customer care centres and ensure no property owner is locked out of the payment process.
“The additional 15 days will help us manage the long queues witnessed at our customer care centres so that we do not leave anyone behind,” he said.
The announcement comes as Nairobi City County ramps up efforts to improve land rates compliance and widen its revenue base. The county is also considering tougher recovery measures, including the use of professional debt collectors, to pursue defaulters.
Last weekend, the county opened customer service centres on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to give residents more time to settle outstanding dues.
Sakaja said the extended service hours were part of a broader effort to improve access and encourage voluntary compliance.
“This is an opportunity for property owners to take advantage of the 3 per cent discount and clear their arrears conveniently,” he said.
County data shows that only about 50,000 accounts are currently captured in the system out of an estimated 250,000 registered land parcels, while fewer than 120,000 parcels are actively paying land rates.
This, county officials say, has left a relatively small number of property owners carrying the burden of financing essential city services.
The governor warned that persistent arrears—driven largely by accumulated penalties and interest—are undermining the county’s ability to provide key services such as garbage collection, road maintenance, street lighting, and healthcare.
Nairobi County Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge said enforcement against defaulters will begin immediately after the new deadline lapses.
“Starting April 16, we will begin firm enforcement on land rates defaulters. We encourage all residents to comply early to avoid penalties and disruptions,” said Njoroge.
He said the county is now fully prepared, both legally and technologically, to enforce compliance across all rateable properties.
According to Njoroge, business owners operating from premises with unpaid land rates may also be held liable as rateable owners under the Rating Act, 2024 and relevant county regulations.
He said enforcement actions after April 15 may include taking over rent collection, auctioning properties, placing charges through the Ministry of Lands, and issuing agency notices to commercial banks to recover unpaid rates.
The county maintains that payment of land rates is not only a legal obligation but also a critical source of funding for infrastructure, service delivery, and urban management.
In the financial year ending June 2025, Nairobi recorded a historic KSh 13.8 billion in own-source revenue.
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