‘Punda’ amechoka? Heavier load for Nairobi motorists

According to the proposed finance bill, motorists in Nairobi county may be forced to dig deeper into their pockets and part with a whooping four hundred Kenya shillings from the current three hundred shillings for parking in the city center.

Nairobi governor, Mike Sonko’s administration proposed the bill to raise the parking fees by one hundred Kenya shillings in a move that is said to help the county raise more revenue that will be used to finance its 2018/2019 budget of thirty four billion Kenya shillings.

The proposal, contained in the County’s Revised 2018/19 Finance Bill was tabled before the County Budget and Appropriations Committee on Monday. The proposed bill is expected to debated by the county assembly and if passed, trailers will be required to pay Ksh. 6, 000 for parking and offloading, lorries Ksh. 4,000 while canters Ksh. 2,000.

Boda boda riders and tuk tuk operators have also not been spared. According to the proposed bill, boda boda riders will each be expected to pay one thousand Kenya shilling as a monthly fee for operating from the Central Business District.

Tuk tuks operating outside the CBD will be charged with a monthly fee of one thousand five hundred Kenya shillings. The matatu industry has also been hit hard as PSVs that would want to reserve space in the county’s central business district will have to part with two hundred and fifty thousand Kenya shillings a year.

Life is becoming seemingly difficult for the already struggling middle-class Kenyan. The proposed bill to increase the parking fees comes barely two months after the Energy Regulatory Commission punched Kenyans in the face with the ridiculous hike in fuel prices.

Even after Parliament passed the bill proposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to cut the fuel tax from 16% to 8%, Kenyans are still feeling the pinch of the high petrol, diesel and kerosene prices in the country. According to the President, the two-year postponement of the fuel tax bill was not a solution to the crisis.

Residents of Nairobi are now in confusion after their Governor Mike Sonko, went back on his word in August 2017 when he announced his plans to reduce the parking fees by 30 per cent in the next financial year, present 2018.

“I will table in the County Assembly through the 2017/18 Finance bill the new proposals so that a new way of handling the transport industry is applied,” said the governor.”

“I was the first person to fight against the Finance Act when I was the senator for Nairobi and even took the case to the court but it was thrown out, but since I am now the governor and with a majority of MCAs, I will see that the law is amended in the assembly to reduce both the fees by 30 per cent,” he added.

https://twitter.com/Kamaitha/status/1054743627375742976

With the rise in fuel prices and now parking fees, are you as a motorist comfortable with parting with Ksh.400?

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