Residents of Nairobi City County are set to suffer a setback after Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) boss Major General Mohammed Badi termed Governor Mike Sonko’s extension of rent waiver as illegitimate.
Last week, Governor Sonko extended rent waiver for tenants residing in government houses for six more months citing COVID-19 financial challenges.
The governor accused officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and NMS of harassing residents over rent arrears despite the current economic crisis occasioned by the pandemic.
“My attention has been drawn to the outcry of a majority of tenants occupying residential houses belonging to the Nairobi City County Government, following persistent harassment by officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) over rent arrears.
“…I do hereby extend the waiver earlier granted for a period of a further six (6) months from the date of this letter, as our residents continue to recover economically from the effects the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sonko’s statement read in part.
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General Badi’s Take
However, speaking during an interview at the JKL show, General Badi noted that Governor Sonko has no authority to issue a waiver since that function was handed over to the NMS.
“The rent waiver for county houses is not legitimate because that is a transferred function, so he (Governor Sonko) has absolutely no authority to waive… It is KRA to announce that not the governor,” General Badi said.
