Reprieve as NMS Halts Estates' Parking Fees

Nairobi Metropolitan Director-General Mohammed Badi
Nairobi Metropolitan Director-General Mohammed Badi
File

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has halted the plan to charge parking fees in city estates until proper consultations have been done. 

NMS Director General, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Badi, said the move to halt the implementation was as a result of many complaints from the members of the public.

“I want to make it clear that this is not something that we will just implement without listening to the public. We must review and look at it properly,” Badi stated. 

Nairobi City County No Parking Signage Along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi. Monday, October 21, 2019
Nairobi City County No Parking Signage Along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi. Monday, October 21, 2019
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke

The NMS had in June this year listed more city estates as eligible for parking fees in a bid to widen its revenue streams. 

The change of mind came after a week of uproar from members of the public who termed the decision to charge parking fees in some estates including residential ones as unjustifiable and insensitive owing to the prevailing economic hardships facing Kenyans.

Nairobi Senator, Sakaja Johnson, had termed the move by NMS as punitive, noting that the residents were already being taxed heavily in other areas. 

He also noted that the Senate would summon the NMS team and its Nairobi County Government (NCCG) counterparts to shed more light on the move.

The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) also castigated the move by NMS saying the county government had no right to introduce new parking fees in estates, further arguing that the county had failed to account for the money it had collected from other sources. 

KARA CEO, Henry Ochieng, stated that they had mobilised residents to chase away county officials who will be seen collecting fees. 

In the year ended June 30, 2020, City Hall collected ksh1.55 billion in parking fees against a target of ksh2.8 billion. 

Nairobi’s total parking lot is 14,864, of which 3,941 are on-street parking, representing 26.5 per cent. Off-street parking slots are 3,834, while 7,089 are buildings' parking. 

Currently, motorists are charged a flat rate daily on-street parking fee of ksh200 in the city centre. 

An undated file image of a parking lot within the Central Business District.
An undated file image of a parking lot within the Central Business District.
File