Locals against bid by Waititu to hike levies

A section of stakeholders representing various groups in Thika during a heated public participation exercise on Kiambu County Finance Bill 2018/2019.Residents refused to endorse a 100 percent increment of county levies as proposed by the Finance bill. [PHOTO: KAMAU MAICHUHIE].

Governor Ferdinand Waititu has faced resistance in his attempt to increase levies for various county services. To help raise the revenue collection for the county, Waititu’s Finance Executive Mburu Kang’ethe recently proposed to hike charges.

Traders, motorists and real estate developers were some of the hardest hit by the Waititu’s new proposals. Motorists in major towns would be required to pay more for parking.

Motorists in Thika, Ruiru, Kiambu and Kikuyu would have to part with Sh100 to park in town in the proposals go through. They have been paying Sh50.

Market fees for traders, single business permits and building plans prices have also been hiked in the proposal.

The administration hopes to collect Sh2.7 billion this financial year up from Sh1.6 billion last year.

However, Thika residents yesterday rejected the Kiambu County Finance Bill, 2018/2019 that contains the proposals.

During a public participation meeting held in Thika, residents unanimously rejected the hefty rates and charges being proposed by the county government.

Tempers flared during the meeting as residents demanded to be told by the members of the county assembly Finance and Budget Committee to explain the rationale that the Finance CEC used to arrive at the new rates.

At one point the meeting was reduced to a shouting match between locals and MCAs, with the former accusing the latter of trying to force them to endorse the Bill.

The locals endorsed an increment of 10 per cent, not the proposed 100 per cent.

Thika District Business Association Chairman Alfred Wanyoike said the proposed charges were punitive and anti-business.

“Any new proposed levies must be scrapped and the rest capped at 10 per cent increment,” said Mr Wanyoike.

He said Thika contributed to more than 60 per cent of the county revenue hence the need to be mindful of the plight of the town's traders.

John Mwangi, the personal assistant to Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina, advised the county government to streamline its revenue collection strategies.

Rufus Kariuki, the chairman of Mt Kenya Matatu Owners Association, said revenue collection must be accompanied by service delivery.