Nairobi Residents To Pay Ksh 2,000 For Fire Certificates

Nairobi households will have to pay an annual tax of 2,000 shillings for fire certificates as the county strives to meet its revenue collection target of 15.5 billion shillings.

This is after the county executive proposed a raft of new tax measures to fund its budget. The measures are contained in the 2020/2021 Finance Bill that is currently before the Nairobi County Assembly and at the Second Reading stage.

The Finance Bill, which has already passed the first reading, proposes that each household in Nairobi will start to pay 2,000 shillings yearly for fire certificates.

This and other tax proposals aim to finance the annual budget of 37.5 billion shillings, supplemented by 15.95 billion shillings from the national government inequitable share to fund its operations in FY2020-21.

According to sources, the proposed fees were opposed last year by the Kenya Alliance of Residents Association saying the charge was not necessary for households because there is no guarantee residents will get services as fire cases are not guaranteed.

Still, under fire certificates, bar owners, cafes, and medium hardware will have to pay 6,000 shillings as the malls will be forced to pay more from 25,000shillings to 100,000 shillings monthly.

Large and medium professional bodies will pay 20,000 shillings and 6,000 shillings, respectively for fire certificates.

Premises storing dangerous inflammable materials such as petroleum for own use will pay an annual fee of 6,000 shillings. That includes LPG gas sellers and those with LPG gas for their own use.

Chemists will also have to pay 12,000 shillings and 6,000 shillings per annum for large and small establishments, respectively, for fire licenses.

Medium hardware owners, shops, cafes, and bar owners will pay 6,000 shillings. The amount chargeable to malls will, however, increase from 25,000 shillings per month to 100,000 shillings for fire certificates.

Clinics have also not been left out as they will be required to pay 6,500 shillings per year for the certificate.

Under the solid waste management, the bill suggests that residents living in informal settlements pay 100 shillings monthly, while those in medium and high (CBD and upmarket) estates will pay 300 shillings and 600 shillings respectively.

Private garbage collectors will have to pay more from the previous flat rate charge of 20,000 shillings. They will be forced to pay between 30,000 shillings and 40,000 shillings, depending on the number of trucks they own.

Garbage collectors with one to five trucks will part with 40,000 shillings and between six to 10 trucks, 35,000 shillings. A contractor with 11 trucks and above will part with 30,000 shillings.

Finance, Budget, and Appropriations Committee chair Robert Mbatia said the Budget committee would start sitting with the various county sectors and the county treasury to justify the new rates.