Life in Nairobi City to get more expensive as Sakaja’s county govt proposes higher taxes
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja
Hourly on-street parking fees, new market cess and rental increment for county estate tenants are among a raft of new costly levies being proposed by City Hall.
The new revenue-raising measures, which will see Nairobi residents dig deeper into their pockets, are aimed at raising Sh19.9 billion in own-source revenue for the county government in the financial year ending June 30, 2024.
The new measures, which also include the doubling of some charges, are contained in the Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2023, currently before the Nairobi County Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee for consideration.
Parking fees
Among the proposals by the Governor Johnson Sakaja-led administration is the introduction of automated parking areas where motorists will part with Sh100 as parking fee for the first hour and then Sh50 for every hour thereafter. Currently, motorists pay Sh200 daily.
To park a saloon car in non-automated areas in Zone I will cost Sh300 daily, up from Sh200. A van or pick-up will attract Sh500, up from Sh200 while lorries above five tonnes will pay Sh3,000, up from Sh1,000.
Zone I covers the city centre, Kijabe Street, Westlands, Upper Hill, Community, Ngara, Highridge, Industrial Area, Gigiri, Kilimani, Yaya Centre, Milimani, Hurlingham, Lavington, Karen, Eastleigh, Muthaiga and Gikomba.
In Zone II, there is a proposal to halve the current charges for saloon cars, canters, minibuses and non-PSV buses while lorries above five tonnes will pay double the current Sh1,000. Vans or pickups will cost Sh300, up from Sh200.
Zone II comprises commercial centres and county market parkings that are not automated or included in Zone I.
As part of the new proposals, tuk-tuks will be charged Sh2,000 every month while motorcycles and scooters will part with Sh1,000 monthly for the same service outside the city centre.
The bill proposes to increase the annual loading or offloading zone fee from Sh220,000 to Sh250,000.
For one to reserve a parking slot for private use, one will part with Sh250,000 annually. The daily private parking slot fee of Sh1,000 has been increased to Sh1,500.
Displaying a motor vehicle for sale on a road reserve is set to be more expensive as an individual will have to pay Sh100 daily, Sh1,500 monthly or Sh15,000 annually from the Sh10,000 currently charged for a square-metre display.
PSV Sacco licences
A licence for a transport Sacco or taxi will cost Sh50,000 annually while licence for Saccos with over 51 vehicles will rise to Sh200,000 from Sh160,000.
Those with between 31 and 50 vehicles will see an increment of Sh50,000 from Sh100,000 annually. Those with between six and 30 vehicles will pay Sh50,000 from Sh36,000.
The bill also proposes a new market cess of Sh2,500 daily for pitching a tent with four chairs and a table.
Small traders will pay Sh50, up from Sh20 as daily market access fee.
City Hall is proposing that hawkers pay Sh50, up from Sh30, as the daily hawking fee.
A hawker with a motor vehicle dealing in non-food items is proposed to part with Sh7,000 annually.
Exhibiting in Nairobi will cost between Sh1,000 and Sh20,000 depending on whether one is an individual, group or corporate.
Operating mobile toilets is proposed to cost between Sh5,000 and Sh15,000, depending on the number of toilets.
Rental charges for all types of stalls in the various markets in the capital are proposed to be increased by 10 per cent while there will be new charges of Sh1,500 for hotels and butcheries in some markets.
For Githurai Market, there is a proposal for a new charge of Sh13,750 and Sh5,500 for hotels and butcheries annually.
For self-constructed hotels and butcheries in Kariobangi South market, the proposed charge is Sh880.
For Ngara Market and its extension, the charge will be Sh3,250 as well as in Quarry, Umoja One and City Park Markets.
Rental stall owners in Kangundo Road will pay Sh2,000 for stall type A, Sh2,500 for type B and Sh5,000 for hotels and butcheries.
County tenants
For tenants of county estates, the bill proposes a 10 per cent monthly rent increment for the estates including new and old Ngara, Huruma, Buruburu, Kariobangi South, Kariokor, Joseph Kangethe, Jamhuri, Kabete Water Works and Juja Road.
Then there is a proposal of 25 per cent monthly rent increment for county estates including Harambee, Outering Road, New Pumwani, Bahati, Landhies Road, Bondeni, Shauri Moyo, Gorofani, Embakasi, Kariobangi North, Kaloleni, Ngong Road, Mbotela, Makadara, Uhuru, Jerusalem, Maringo, Ofafa Jericho, Lumumba, and Ziwani.
The bill is also proposing the introduction of a Sh15,000 tenant purchase scheme as transfer fee per unit as well as a 10 per cent increase for county estate rooms.
Water bowsers
A food handlers’ medical certificate is proposed to increase from Sh1,000 to Sh1,500 while acquiring public health clearance for water bowsers per truck and effluent discharge permit per outlet will now go for Sh10,000 annually.
Transporting medical waste is set to be charged a new fee of Sh5,000 per truck, while treatment of medical waste is proposed to set one back by Sh10,000 per incinerator, same as treatment of medical waste by microwave and autoclave.
Daycares
Small daycares with less than 20 babies will pay Sh2,000 for institution inspection fee, which will double for those with more than 20 babies.
There is also a proposal for new charges for disinfection or fumigation of PSVs of Sh5,000 per vehicle, Sh15,000 per quarter for factories and Sh20,000 for go-downs.
City Hall is proposing between Sh10,000 and Sh50,000 as the building inspection fee per report, depending on the number of units.
For factories, malls, hotels, restaurants, lodgings, estates and mini-markets, the fee is proposed to be between Sh50,000 per inspection report and Sh100,000 for slaughterhouses, commercial buildings, supermarkets and institutions.
Alcohol premises
The county is proposing to double the licence fees for premises selling alcoholic drinks from the current Sh25,000 annually while the off-licence will also be doubled from the current Sh12,000.
The bill also proposes that car gas refilling stations pay between Sh10,000 and Sh50,000 as fire inspection compliance certificate fee, depending on the number of nozzles.
Electric vehicles
Seeking to gain from the growth of e-mobility, City Hall is proposing that electric vehicle charging stations cost between Sh4,500 and Sh10,000 per year, depending on the number of charging ports.
Gas plant refilling stations will be charged Sh50,000 per year should the bill sail through as is, while gas depots will part with between Sh20,000 and Sh50,000, depending on their size.
Impounding charges have also been proposed for increase by up to Sh2,000 in some instances while shoe shiners, newspaper vendors and modern kiosk owners will pay between Sh5,000 and Sh50,000 for temporary use of a road reserve.
In addition, temporary closure of public roads or lanes for exclusive use per day could attract a fee of Sh50,000. However, if one installs a gate or barrier across a public road, they will part with Sh20,000 per annum.
Proposals that a betting company pays Sh10,000 application or renewal fee per premise or betting shop and Sh600,000 grant fee per premise or Sh100,000 for a betting shop are also included.
This is in addition to Sh300,000 annual fee per premise or Sh50,000 for a betting shop while transferring such a premise will attract a location fee of Sh100,000 or Sh25,000 for a betting shop.
The bill also proposes a penalty of Sh10,000 for operating unlicensed pool tables or Sh5,000 for anybody found gambling in an unlicensed premise.
Cost of death
For coroner services at City Mortuary, preservation charges of Sh500 daily are proposed for all bodies for City residents for the first 10 days which will then increase to Sh700 daily after the 10 days.
Embalming will be Sh2,500 per body for children and infants and Sh3,000 for adults while post-mortem examination, which has been free, is proposed to be charged Sh5,000 for adults, Sh3,000 for children and Sh1,500 for infants during weekdays, which then shoots to Sh8,000 during weekends, holidays or after-work hours.
To be buried in a permanent grave in the Lang’ata Cemetery as an adult residing in Nairobi, the proposed fee is Sh30,500 while for outsiders, the fee is Sh40,000. For children between one and 15 years, the proposed charge is Sh22,500 for Nairobi residents or Sh28,500 for non-City residents while for infants the charge is Sh15,500 and Sh21,500 respectively. Non-Kenyan citizens will have to part with Sh50,000 (adult), Sh35,000 (child).
The matter gets even more grave with special graves along Forest Road or City Park going for Sh70,000 (adults), Sh50,000 (child) and Sh30,000 (infants).
As part of the new charges, exhumation will cost Sh50,000 (adults), Sh30,000 (child) and Sh25,000 for infants while grave reopening will cost Sh50,000, Sh35,000 and Sh25,000 respectively.
For cremation at the Lang’ata crematorium, one will part with Sh20,000 (adult), Sh16,000 (child) and Sh14,000 (infant).
Referral of non-emergency patients within Nairobi will now cost Sh2,500 within 15 kilometres or Sh75 per kilometre for those beyond 15 kilometres and outside Nairobi.
The Nairobi Finance boss, Mr Charles Kerich, told the Saturday Nation that the executive and the assembly’s Budget committee will review the proposals before the Bill is tabled in the House.
“We will meet with the committee in two weeks to go through the draft bill by looking into its content. There is nothing final yet,” Mr Kerich said.
