Nairobi City has many Tax payers who suffer in silence because of by-laws and codes that they do not understand. A reader shares the following harrowing experience which we hope will inspire somebody to explain if these are by-law issues or it is a case of officers using ignorance of by-laws to perpetuate corruption.
I live in the Diaspora but I have a house in Kilimani area in a gated community,each of our Bungalow houses have own gates and parking space in front of the gate.
Due to the water shortage in Nairobi which has affected the area and left residents to only receive water once a week,it has become very expensive to buy water for many of us without big storage tank and I decided to have a big reservoir tank build at the bank of my Bungalow.
After digging a big hole where the concrete tank will go,we took the dug soil and put in in front of our gate waiting for the completion of the tank to put the soil back.
Somehow,the city council men got to know about the soil and they have been coming everyday harassing and insisting to take me to jail.To buy time, I have been bribing these men every time they come but now they come everyday and it has became very expensive.
I thought that the soil been outside my gate and in a gated community should not be a City council issue but I was wrong.My neighbors tells me that for any work done outside your compound,Painting,trimming fence,and cultivating flower garden.you need to get a letter/permit from the City council and each permit costs ksh 4,000.
Are these by-law issues or made up stories to extort money from wananchi?
Affected Diaspora
By Diaspora Messenger
Nairobi City By-Laws: Punishment or corruption-A Diaspora ordeal
