Last week, Generation Z took to the streets to protest the Finance Bill. Besides forcing a rejection of the proposed law, the protests informed other unexpected outputs. As I went through routine updates on the demonstrations, I hardly expected to stumble upon matters land. But I did!
Posts began popping up on my X (formerly Twitter) timeline attributing a proposal to slap an annual levy to freehold land to the Finance Bill.
I knew this to be incorrect. While factual, the proposal was not part of the Finance Bill, but some Land Amendment Bill, tabled by the Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly way back in 2023. Before long, some friends ‘WhatsApped’ me the same provisions, seeking clarification.
When the same started doing the rounds on some rather serious WhatsApp groups, such as those belonging to business lobbies, my high school alumni, and professional associations, I thought it wise to intervene. This would help to debunk the mix-up and give direction.
The proposed imposition of an annual levy to freehold land was a matter my colleague Mwenda Makathimo, a land economist, and I addressed in an opinion piece published in the Daily Nation on January 10, 2024, titled ‘Wrong to tax freehold land’.
I also shared an opinion piece on the same through this column on February 29, 2024, titled ‘Why MPs should reject the push for annual tax on freehold land’. I pulled out the related web links and shared, them with clarification. I further re-posted them on my X handle. That helped, and the inquiries ceased.
Besides providing substantive details, the opinion pieces made appeals to MPs. Two excerpts illustrate this. In the Daily Nation piece, we said, “Through the Land Laws (Amendment) (No 2) Bill of 2023, the government intends to have owners of freehold land within urban or city areas pay an annual land levy on freehold property.
Lawmakers must be aware of the implications of this provision for themselves, and Kenyans with freehold properties within urban or city boundaries. They must reject the proposal.”
I had concluded my Business Daily contribution on the subject with an appeal that noted, “I suspect that members of the Lands Committee may have got convinced that the proposal is inappropriate. They, however, retain the discretion to decide and accordingly guide the whole house.
“Let them be bold enough to advise that the provision completely subverts our tenure doctrine, and will burden many freehold landowners who, until now, have been happily enjoying their ancestral rights without minding such annual payments.”
Last week’s protests threw this matter back into public discourse. From the social media posts, I was happy to note that Gen Z has taken an interest in land matters. I was glad to see senior citizens and the business community appreciate the threat the proposed annual levy poses to freehold land interests. There has since been communication that the Bill has been shelved. Let’s nonetheless remain vigilant.