Nairobi County still struggles to raise revenues to upgrade roads and keeping the streets clean with an efficient garbage collection system because three-quarters of the total income from the county is consumed in salaries and commission to the big boys and other employees.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has defaulted in his promise to his people of halving the parking fee from Ksh 300 to Ksh 150 during his campaign. Determined to raise the staggering revenues and decongesting the Central Business District (CBD), City Hall says parking fees in Nairobi will be doubled to Sh400 within the city centre if the proposal is adopted by MCAs.
“The reduction in parking fees for street parking fees was the cornerstone of the amendments last year and has drastically reduced revenue collections from daily parking and increased congestion within the CBD,” said City Hall.
Parking fees for non-commercial buses and lorries will be Sh1,000 while trucks will pay Sh3,000 in the central business district and half the amount in the residential areas while those paying monthly tickets will part with Sh7,000 and Sh55,000 if they opt for annual permits.
Also, the proposal will see parking charges of Sh200 introduced in residential areas with motorists paying Sh300 at shopping and business hubs like Yaya Centre, Eastleigh, Westlands, Karen, Gigiri, Ngara and Hurlingham, among others. City Hall estimates traffic jam in the city cost at Ksh37 billion in fuel which has amounted to huge loss of time as a valuable resource.
The county collected an estimated Sh10 billion in internal revenue against a target of Sh15 billion from a previous year’s Ksh 10.1 billion collection. Last year, Ward representatives slashed the parking fee to Ksh 200, but the doubled charges if adopted will boost the county collections.