A Kenyan landlord has waived two months’ rent for his tenants in the wake of the global pandemic. Going the extra mile, he then helped his tenants stock up on emergency food supplies and even designated a “sick bay” in case any resident should fall ill with the CCP virus.
His kind gestures are winning hearts around the globe.
Michael Munene, a Nyandarua County landlord and dentist, announced his decision to waive rent to the Kenyan news media on March 21, 2020, just days after the Kenyan government urged those who could work from home to do so.
Munene’s selfless gesture holds significant financial value, but the major monetary loss didn’t stop him from helping those in need. According to Pulse Live, Munene let go of a total of 228,000 Kenyan shillings (US$2,126) by freezing rent payments for both March and April 2020.
“Most of my tenants work in flower farms,” Munene said, “and I heard that some could lose their jobs soon. I looked at the situation and decided to waive the two months’ rent.”
Munene maintains a one-story building in the North Kinangop ward comprising 28 residential units. Each unit brings in 3,000 Kenyan shillings (US$28) per month in rent; he also owns six commercial units that he rents out.
“My tenants are usually very loyal and most of them settle their rent on time,” Munene told Kenya’s Standard Media. “I reflected on the current situation and told myself, ‘Even if none [of my tenants] has ever absconded paying house rent, I understand that the coronavirus outbreak could make it difficult for some to raise the rent on time.’”
“I wouldn’t want a situation where any of my tenants takes a loan to settle house rent,” the landlord added.
Waiving rent is not the only gesture that Munene has made. The landlord has urged his tenants to maintain a high level of hygiene at home, posting reminders about hand-washing around the property and providing soap and water in communal areas.
Munene has also helped his tenants to stock up on food, reports Kenyans, and has designated a “sick bay” in the North Kinangop residential property to be used as an interim emergency treatment room in the event that any tenant falls ill and has to wait for transportation to a hospital.
A worker instructs children on how to wash their hands at the entrance of the Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 18, 2020 (LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
Kenyans came forward in droves to congratulate Munene on his kind consideration of his tenants.
“God bless you abundantly for the good gesture,” one person said, according to Standard Media. Another lauded Munene as “the best definition of humanity.”
Munene’s timely act of kindness is sure to ease the financial burden of his tenants in this time of crisis.
“We are very happy because our landlord has waived our two months’ rent,” said one of Munene’s tenants, according to Kenyans, “and I would want to request other landlords to do the same.”
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