Mixed Reactions as Sakaja assents to Law Finance Bill 2023/24
By Shadrack Nyakoe
Ambivalence among Nairobi City Members of County Assembly as the finance bill 2023/24 is assented by Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The City legislators cheered the move to raise the charges for guest houses in order to reduce the rate of immorality in the county.
Gatina Ward MCA Kennedy Swaka said the Bill is friendly to common mwananchi as it has reduced the licenses for small business people such as small food stores licenses from Ksh.15,000 to Ksh.10,000
“There are a few public institutions offering basic education in Nairobi and we are glad that the charges for APBET education, these are alternative schools for basic education which has been reduced from Ksh.6000 to Ksh.3000,” Swaka said.
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Special elect for youth United Democratic Alliance Party Brian Itenya has castigated the Chairperson of finance budget and appropriation Wilfred Odalo who is also Mabatini Ward representative for quashing the proposal to charge public grounds.
“It’s absurd how the public grounds such as Jacaranda, Kamukunji, Jeevanjee will not be charged for persons to conduct public meetings there. Those are the bases for maandamano in the City. Preachers, herbalists and other people using the grounds have many times been accused of causing disorderliness and noise pollution, they should be charged,” Itenya averred.
Budget Chairperson Wilfred Odalo said the Nairobi City County Finance Act 2023 is the first comprehensive amendment to the
charges and levies in the County in the last five years paving way for enhanced service delivery, openness, accountability, and equity in taxation, and increased revenue collection to finance key priority projects.
“The County Government will hereafter publish a comprehensive schedule of all fees and charges contained in this Act and previous Finance Acts in one document for ease of reference by Nairobians.The Finance Act 2023 is good for the County Government and also good for the residents. We gathered valuable insights during this public engagement process. These insights played a vital role in shaping the Bill, resulting in certain charges being increased, eliminated or decreased,” Odalo said.
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