Kenyans may soon be fined up to Ksh100,000 or be imprisoned for two years for giving names or addresses to property and streets without the government’s approval.
The proposal has been made in the Street Naming and Property Addressing System Bill 2024, sponsored by Senator Fatuma Dullo.
The Bill proposes the establishment of procedures for an addressing system for each county and for the naming of streets and public places in counties and for connected purposes.
Further Senator Dullo argues that there is a need to ensure that there is a logical and consistent addressing system throughout the country.
“This is important for the implementation of effective service delivery by county governments as it encourages and enables e-commerce, eases identification of streets and public places, improves emergency response services,
“Enhances the management of settlements and development in the area. It further enhances revenue collection for both county and national governments. Furthermore, it plays a key role in the enhancement of security,” the bill reads in part.
Currently, there is no law in place to regulate the naming of streets and public places.
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Key Suggestions of the Bill
Clause 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the bill propose the establishment of the National Addressing Council, the functions of the Council, the meetings of the Council and reports of the Council.
The council will be mandated to advise and make recommendations to both levels of government on matters relating to the naming of public roads and property.
Moreover, the council will facilitate alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for matters referred to it by the Officer of the Registrar and render decisions based on the reports and recommendations of the Registrar and the County Committee.
Also, it will perform any other function relevant to the execution of its mandate.
The Bill states that the Headquarters of the Office of the Registrar shall be in Nairobi. “The Office may establish such other offices anywhere in Kenya as it may consider necessary for the discharge of its functions under this Act,” adds the bill.
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The Registrar shall be charged with the responsibility of implementing the Bill if enacted, creating and managing the National Addressing System, coordinating the use of shared infrastructure between the national and the county governments and ensuring that all addressable objects are identified and catalogued.
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Consequence of the Property Naming Bill to Kenyans
The Bill will apply to assigning an address to a street, property or any object that can be assigned an address.
Every holder of address data is required to input the same into the National Addressing System.
“Failure to comply with this requirement of the law is an offence for which the perpetrator may be fined up to 100,000 or be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years or both,” noted the bill.
To name a public street or property, the Committee must first invite proposals for names of unnamed or new streets and public places or proposals for renaming existing streets.
Thereafter, it will select the name of the addressable object after considering the prescribed criteria, or the choice and publish it in the county Gazette and any other media with the widest reach for residents of the county.
Within seven days of publication of the name the County Executive Committee Member in charge of street signage shall facilitate the installation of the signage.
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