The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is among several high-profile organizations facing the risk of property auction as Kisumu County moves to recover an outstanding land rates debt totaling Sh81.9 billion.
According to a public notice issued this week, the county government has warned all defaulters to clear their arrears within 30 days or face enforcement measures, including property attachment and public auction.
Among the entities named, KAA owes the county Sh3.5 billion for land occupied by Kisumu International Airport. Kenya Pipeline Company has accumulated land rates arrears amounting to Sh1.7 billion, while the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation owes Sh317 million. The National Cereals and Produce Board is reported to owe Sh11.1 million, and the National Social Security Fund’s debt stands at Sh6.9 million.
Kisumu County Lands Executive, Mr. Kennedy Otieno, stated that the ballooning unpaid rates are hampering service delivery and affecting the county’s ability to fund key development projects in infrastructure, health, and education.
“We have exhausted negotiations with these organizations and individuals. What remains now is enforcement. Property auctions will proceed if payments are not made promptly,” Mr. Otieno said.
He added that auctioneers have already been engaged to initiate the recovery process should the defaulters fail to settle their debts by the deadline.
The county's aggressive stance mirrors a wider trend across Kenya as local governments seek to increase their own-source revenue in the face of delayed disbursements from the national treasury.
This marks one of the largest debt recovery efforts in Kisumu’s history, signaling that no entity, whether public or private, will be exempt from the enforcement actions.
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