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Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has blamed his predecessor William Kabogo after his plan to increase land rates flopped.
Land owners in the county were angered after Waititu's government abruptly increased rates to a point where owners who had been paying Sh350 were required to pay Sh38,000.
"We were never involved when the county came up with the new land rates.
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Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu
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"They are very high and a majority of the residents cannot afford to pay," stated Zayuni Mbugua, the coordinator of a lobby group the land owners formed.
Mr Mbugua also raised concerns with a new development where land owners with teh same size of a plot were charged different rates.
According to the lobbyist, land owners in Githurai and Kahawa Sukari were being charged Sh17,500 and Sh6,400 respectively for the same sized parcel of land.
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Governor Ferdinand Waititu
"Until 2018 I had been paying Sh2,000 for my 40-by-60 plot in Githurai. I am now required to pay Sh6,000 which I cannot afford.
"We have to sit down with the county and agree on new charges that will be affordable to all people," he stated.
New Rates were developed by William Kabogo
Soon after rescinding on the new rates policy, Governor Waititu on Wednesday stated that they had been developed by his predecessor.
"The increment of new rates was started in 2015 and public participation was done then but we have suspended them so that we can have a consensus on the new rates," Waititu stated.
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File image of former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo addressing the media
Kenya Association of Manufacturers CEO Phyllis Wakianga also wrote to the Land CEC James Maina terming the fees as exaggerated, unrealistic and unlawful.