Government will have power to snatch your land if the new bill passes

The Land Amendment Bill number 2 of 2023 is stirring up quite the controversy! This bill proposes to shake things up by making freehold land owners pay an annual land levy. That’s right, folks – no more free rides for those who enjoy perpetual ownership and can do whatever they please with their land.

If this bill passes, the Land Act 2012 will be amended to include a new section that requires freehold land owners in urban areas to cough up some cash annually. The amount will be equivalent to what leasehold property owners pay for similar-sized properties in the same zone. Talk about leveling the playing field!

But hold on a minute – experts are sounding the alarm bells. Dr. Mwenda Makathimo from the Land Development and Governance Institute (LDGI) warns that this bill could lead to Kenyans losing their property to the government. That’s right, folks – your hard-earned land could be snatched away faster than you can say “property tax.”

And it gets even juicier! Eva Makori from the International Land Coalition (ILC) Africa points out that this bill could turn freehold property into leasehold property, potentially leaving many Kenyans high and dry. Imagine waking up one day to find out that your ancestral land is no longer yours – talk about a plot twist!

Sponsored by Ruiru Member of Parliament Simon King’ara, this bill also gives the Lands Cabinet Secretary the power to snatch up land whenever the government sees fit. It’s like a real estate power grab!

In the end, this bill is like a bad breakup – taking away power from an independent commission and leaving Kenyans wondering what’s next. So buckle up, folks – the land ownership rollercoaster is about to take a wild turn!