Machakos county unveils valuation roll to boost revenue

The County government of Machakos has unveiled a draft County Valuation Roll in a move that is aimed at driving up own source revenue in the lower Eastern’s richest county.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti on Friday launched the draft valuation roll at the Machakos International Conference Center where she affirmed her government’s resolve to deploy innovative mechanisms in growing the county’s revenues.

“Upon successful implementation, this data could help the county government drive Own Source Revenue targets beyond 100 percent. In doing so, Machakos residents will enjoy better services because the government will be able to generate much more revenue to finance the numerous budgetary gaps,” Governor Wavinya said.

A valuation roll is a document or database compiled by local governments that lists the value of all properties within a specific area, and is used to determine property taxes and other related levies.

She said the document will soon be forwarded to the county assembly for further deliberations and approval.

“With the Draft Valuation Roll 2024 now complete, we are now set to present it to the County Assembly for approval. It will be available for public inspection, allowing property owners to review and, if necessary, lodge objections as stipulated by law,” she said.

She added that the document will be subjected to scrutiny by all stakeholders in compliance with the existing legislations. “It will ensure fairness and equity in property valuation aligning with the National Rating Act No. 15 of 2024, and the Machakos County Rating Act, of 2014, which mandates the regular updates to maintain accuracy and fairness in property assessments,” she said.

Deputy Governor, Francis Mwangangi said the data was critical in expanding the scope of service delivery to the residents in the wake of crumbling financial resource allocation. “This move will attract investors big time as their property is set to attract higher value. I urge all the stakeholders to collaborate in order to ensure success of this initiative,” said the DG.

Lands minister, Nathaniel Nganga noted that the valuation roll had been subjected to all legal requirements including public participation and engagement of certified public valuers.

"We are 100 percent in compliance with the law and we do not anticipate a situation where our document will be in challenges," he said.