Livestock traders protest against new City Council cess fees

By Ali Abdi

Livestock dealers from Arid and Semi Arid Lands (Asal) districts have protested against the City Council of Nairobi over new cess for livestock landing and dressed carcass.

Producers and traders from northern Kenya and Kajiado and hoteliers and butchers from Nairobi protested through the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council (KLMC) against the council’s new cess fees.

On November 17 last year, council treasurer J Munge in a letter asked dealers at Nairobi’s Kariobangi, Njiru and Kiamaiko markets to pay landing and dressed carcass fees.

According to the letter, landing fee for a cow was Sh150, sheep or goat at Sh50 and pig at Sh70. Cold dressed carcass for a cow was set at Sh150, goat and sheep at Sh50 and pig at Sh70.

At Kariobangi alone, more than 5,000 goats and sheep and about 1,000 cattle are slaughtered daily, earning the council more than Sh1 million in revenue. KLMC Marketing Manager Qalicha Wario said the council did not deserve to be paid because dealers operated from private premises.

Wario was responding to queries raised by traders from northern Kenya that they were paying fees to the Council and market owners in Kariobangi and Njiru. The official said the council could only charge the levies if it had its own markets.

OWNERSHIP

"All markets and slaughterhouses in Nairobi are privately owned and our members have been paying fees to the owners. The introduction of fees by the City Council means double charges on the side of the traders and reduction in the profit margin," he said.

The official said the Council did not consult the traders before demanding for the new levies adding it was unfair treatment.