Sakaja’s planned restoration of Nairobi to cost hawkers Sh50 per day
During last year’s election campaigns, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja promised that if elected he would address the plight of street hawkers once and for all.
The then gubernatorial candidate also promised to improve hawkers’ working environment by building 20 new modern markets and ensuring that the city is clean.
However, several months after Sakaja assumed office, the reality is that hawkers will have to dig deeper into their pockets to finance his Sh42.3 billion budget.
The County Finance Bill 2023, tabled by the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Planning, Mr Charles Kerich, has outlined the plans the county plans to put in place to raise Sh19.99 billion, which is its own revenue target.
According to the draft, the Sakaja administration has introduced various ways of collecting taxes, including Sh1,000 per tonne for fish traders in both formal and informal markets.
The daily market access fee for small traders or hawkers has been increased from Sh20 to Sh50 per day.
Bead sellers will also start paying Sh25 for each small box weighing 50kg and Sh50 for large boxes weighing over 50kg.
Traders dealing in rolls of material/fabric will also start paying Sh20 per roll, while those selling small bundles of rope (12-24) will pay Sh25 per bundle and Sh50 per bundle for larger bundles.
Mechanics operating in the county have not been left out of the proposed bill as the county has introduced a Sh350 fee for used tyres to be collected, while tyres for hand carts will attract Sh100.
Another newly introduced fee is Sh100 for chicken by-products per 90kg bag and Sh50 for chicken by-products per 50kg bag.
Hawkers selling leeks will also have to pay Sh100 per dozen, while those selling madafu will have to pay Sh50 per 50kg bucket.
Selling of carcass head by products in both informal and formal markets will attract Sh10 fee per head, while those dealing with carcasses bone by products will pay Sh1,000 per ton.
Hawkers selling carcasses legs by products (bundle of 12), will be required to pay a fee of Sh20 to the county government.
Hides and animal skin (processed) in both informal and formal markets will also attract Sh50 per roll 50kg and Sh20 per piece for fresh animal skin.
The hawkers and mama mboga selling a box of tomato weighing 151kgs will in both markets will pay Sh250, and Sh200 for tomato in a normal box weighing 101 -150kg, and Sh150 for tomato in a medium box.
The county has also introduced taxes for hawkers selling miraa /muguka, where one will pay Sh50 for 1-50kg, and Sh100 for 51kg -100kg.
Further, the county has proposed Sh100 for miraa /muguka pick up for 500kg in formal and informal markets, and Sh100 for ground nuts per 90kg bag.
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