Heavier burden for residents as city parking fees shoot up

Nairobi residents yesterday woke up to the shock of higher charges after taxes passed in the Finance Act 2023 took effect.

Car owners will now pay Sh300 from Sh200 while canters had their charges increased by a whopping Sh2,000. Starting yesterday, canters, buses and trucks will pay Sh3,000 up from Sh1,000.

Governor Johnson Sakaja assented to the Nairobi City County Finance Act 2023 last month. It imposes new taxes on residents and traders in the county government’s effort to raise an extra Sh17 billion for the budget.

The law, signed by Sakaja yesterday, seeks to raise Sh42.3 billion in the 2023/24 financial year from Sh25 billion raised last year.

Other areas hit hard by the new levies are market traders after charges for stalls were increased by 10 per cent.

Sakaja explained that the new law introduces new parking zones that are well-defined.

For areas around mosques in both Zone I and Zone II, motorists will enjoy free parking for two hours (12:30pm to 2:30pm) on Fridays only.

Motorists in Zone I and II areas will pay Sh100 for the first hour of parking.

Motorists who intend to stay longer will pay Sh50 for the subsequent hours they park in Zone I and Sh100 for Zone II.

Zone I areas include Kijabe Street, Westlands, Upperhill, Community, Ngara, Highridge, Industrial Area, Gigiri, Kilimani, Yaya Centre, Milimani, Hurligham, Lavington, Karen, Eastleigh, Gikomba and Muthaiga.
Bar owners have been thumped with huge increments for their licences which have been increased fourfold.

General retail alcoholic drinks, in respect to premises situated within the Nairobi County, will be charged Sh100,000 up from Sh25,000, while retail alcohol drinks (Off licenses) will be pay Sh50,000 from Sh12,000 previously.

Sakaja said his government proposed to raise charges on alcoholic drinks and licensing to help control the number of drinking outlets in the city. He said this was meant curb alcohol and drug abuse.
In the housing sector, Nairobi residents living in county-owned houses have been slapped with a rental increment of between Sh2,500 and Sh7,500.

There is a proposal of a 25 per cent increment for estates including Ziwani, Ofafa Jericho, Lumumba, Jerusalem, Maringo, Mbotela, Ngong Road, Shauri Moyo, Gorofani, Bahati, New Pumwani, Landies Road, Outering Road, Uhuru and New Pumwani. Currently, residents in these estates pay rent of between Sh2,000 and Sh22,000.

The county has 17,000 houses in Maringo, Uhuru, Kaloleni, Jericho, Buruburu, Kariobangi South, Ziwani and Jerusalem.

It is, however, relief for women as they will not be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to receive family planning services.

According to Sakaja, residents of Nairobi had opposed increase in levies for reproductive health services.
“We had initially proposed new charges on reproductive health but, during public participation, residents expressed their views and we heard and maintained and reduced some of the charges,” he added.
For the outdoor advertisement and signage, the Governor said City Hall had increased application fees for outdoor advertising.

The county has retained impounding charges in some areas and reduced in others to drive compliance.
“For market services, we had proposed to increase charges but following their recommendations, we have retained the old charges,” Sakaja said.