Hours after business owners in Londiani, Kericho County, staged protests, the county government responded and assured them that their grievances had been heard and that the county would review the taxation policy.
The county revenue officer Kipruto Sang' was responding to the over 2,000 traders who had halted businesses while rejecting the new license fees.
Kericho County Governor Dr. Eric Mutai has increased business license fees for traders in Londiani, despite his campaign pledge to reduce taxes if elected.
Local traders have expressed frustration, arguing that the higher fees are unjustified given the poor state of business conditions in the area. Many claim that essential infrastructure and support services remain depleted and neglected, making it even harder to sustain their businesses under the new rates.
The owners demanded that the county government provide essential services like water, electricity, and toilets before they could pay for the increased licenses. Further, they issued the county with a 14-day ultimatum to resolve increased business permit fees.
"The licences that we were issued are problematic, and we are not going to pay the new fees until the governor and the minister show up here for proper discussions," Isaac Owino, a businessman in Londiani, demanded.
"We have been facing problems with water and have moved back and forth with the county until now the national government has allowed Kenyans to refuse to pay licences until the services are provided. So we will not pay the licence fee," Owino continued.
According to the chair of the business community, this move by the county government was a huge burden on hustlers, leading to the unpredictability of their businesses, especially in a country struggling with a high rate of unemployment.
The businessmen had questioned the criteria used by the county revenue collectors, saying taxes continued to rise, but there was no value for the money collected that was felt in their businesses.
The traders want the county to involve them in the taxation policy in the future to avoid inconveniences.
On his part, the governor has assured the traders that he has heard their plea and is committed to easing the financial pressure and helping grow their businesses.
In 2024, the County Government of Kericho increased business permits by 50 per cent, from Ksh4,000 to Ksh8,000.
For contractors, the county increased the business permits from Ksh5,000 to Ksh23,000 a move that saw contractors move to court.
