Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko's administration, is set to introduce new taxes this year to finance the Ksh35.2 billion budget.
According to Sonko's government, all Nairobi households will, for the first time, be required to pay for the inspection of the health of their pets in a raft of new taxes.
A report by Business Daily stated, "Nairobians intending to keep dogs or cats will be charged a Ksh1,000 health inspection fee among many other new taxes and levies that residents and businesses in the capital city will pay to finance the county government’s annual budget."
In addition, they will also be required to pay for fire certificates and garbage collection.
The County’s Finance Bill 2019 proposes that all households in the city pay a fire certificate fee of Ksh 2,000 per annum.
Also, the new monthly garbage collection charges will comprise of Ksh100 for informal settlements, Ksh 300 for middle-class estates and Ksh 600 for high-end suburbs.
The residents will also be required to pay health inspection fees for all animals imported from other counties.
If adopted, the new fees will see City Hall rake in at least Ksh3 billion in fire certifications alone from the estimated 1.5 million households in Nairobi.
City Hall is reported to have increased multiple levies in its bid to widen the tax bracket.
The worst-hit businesses by City Hall’s increased taxes are food outlets, gas vendors and supermarkets.
Gas vendors will pay a flat rate of Ksh 30,000 for a fire certificate, nearly seven times more than the Ksh 4,500 currently charged.
Fish and chips food joints, some of the most popular eating outlets in the city, will now pay Ksh12,000 or double the current charge for fire certificates.
The new charges are contrary to Sonko’s promise to reduce various levies paid by city residents and businesses, in a bid to increase compliance, and in turn, raise the city’s own-source revenue collection.
The missed revenue targets have seen City Hall struggle to provide key services like health, schools and the construction and repair of roads.
