Thika Hospital Ward MCA Mwangi Wamwangi called on tenants of, Starehe and Jamhuri estates to seek amicable ways of resolving their rent tussles with the Kiambu County Government.
Speaking in Thika on Saturday, Wamwangi said the residents had boycotted paying their rent for more than a year now accumulating the charges to huge amounts of money.
The anomaly, he said, could cost them being kicked out of the county government houses in case they are unable to raise the amount.
Wamwangi noted that most of the tenants had constructed extensions in their backyards and have been renting them and yet they are not willing to give part of the revenue they raise to the county government.
The tenants have been in and out of court accusing the county government over raising the rent rates from the previous charges under Thika Municipality to the new rates after devolution.
“Surely it would be very hard to retain the charges which were being charged 30 years ago and we must consider that the economy had risen and the rent rates gone up with the economy,” said Wamwangi.
He said the residents would have to compare the house rates to their houses and that of similar houses from private developers.
“A private three bedroom house rent goes for more than Sh20, 000 per month, but the county government is charging Sh2, 500 per month," he added.