By Eric Wainaina and Bonface Gikandi
Kiambu, Kenya: Despite street protests by traders and residents of Kiambu, the county assembly has enacted the controversial Finance Bill into law.
Governor William Kabogo signed the Kiambu County Finance Bill into law after the assembly amended the more controversial draft that had drawn public outcry.
The county government says it is using the law to supplement its Sh13 billion budget, which has a deficit of Sh7 billion.
Market traders in the county who have been holding protests with the support of some MPs opposed to the new charges say the new Act will kill their businesses.
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According to the Act, daily market fees are Sh30 and for grains, legumes, and root carrot suppliers, they will pay Sh40 per bag for each produce while for vegetables and fruits is Sh30 per bag.
For instance, banana dealers will pay Sh30 per bunch irrespective of the size. Kiambu sub-county Administrator Henry Wanyundi told a group of protesters that little can be done to change things since the levies are law. Lawrence Mwaura, the vice chairman of the Finance Committee in the assembly, said they harmonised the charges to make all traders in the county pay equal fees.
He said under the defunct local authorities, there were areas charging Sh80 while others Sh10. For bulk suppliers, for every pick-up (up to three-tonnes) will have to pay Sh300 as cess, a canter (3-7 tonnes) Sh500, a lorry (8-12 tonnes) Sh700 and anything more than 8 tonnes Sh1,000.
Besides the daily fee, traders will be paying various annual fees to operate in public markets ranging from Sh1,500 to Sh3,000.
Slaughter fee in the county slaughter house is Sh400 per cow and Sh150 for sheep/goats.
Getting a county grave for an adult will cost Sh4,500, children Sh3,000 and infants Sh2,500 while burial certificates will cost Sh8,000 for citizens, Sh10,000 and Sh25,000 for non citizens. Meanwhile, furious Murang’a residents protested against the proposed County Finance Bill.
The residents are dismayed that fees and levies charged by the county government are to go up significantly.
Only the cost of trading at the market centres has remained untouched in line with the promise of Governor Mwangi wa Iria who said the region has more untapped resources to support the budget.
Agriculture produce cess has been introduced and is likely to spark protest from farmers, as a bag of macadamia and sunflower will be charged at Sh80.
Other agricultural produce to attract cess are coffee, tea, pyrethrum and milk calculated at one per cent of the turnover.
