Groups vow to oppose new parking rates

By Peter Orengo

Owners of public service vehicles in the city have threatened to double fares if the Nairobi City Council does not rescind its new parking rates.

At the same time, the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara) has moved to court to quash the decision that also affects saloon cars and lorries.

The new rates that take effect from Monday demand that owners pay Sh300 for saloon cars and Sh1,000 for lorries, a 114 per cent increase.

Parking fees for Matatus and buses have also increased from Sh1,400 to Sh2,200 and Sh3,000 to Sh7,000 respectively per month.

"We feel the increase is unwarranted and excessive, considering no similar average escalation in city residents’ income," said Stephen Mutoro, the Kara CEO.

The suit names Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi as second respondent, while the Attorney General Amos Wako is third.

The matatu owners say any fee increase for them must be shared with commuters.

"This increment was done without consultation. Matatu owners are not milking cows for city council," said Simon Kimutai, Matatu Owners Association chairman.

And Matatu Welfare Association (MWA) threatened to ask their members to remove vehicles from the roads. "We will be advising all operators to boycott payment of the new rates by keeping their matatus at home for two days," said Dickson Mbugua, the MWA chairman.

Kenyans for Justice and Development, a civil society group, termed the move regrettable, "coming at a time we have a new Constitution that categorically calls for an engaged citizenry in public affairs."

"Citizen participation is now a must when public bodies make such key decisions. City Hall should have brought on board the various citizen associations and interest groups active in Nairobi. The fact that they did not do so makes their move also unconstitutional in a very substantive way," said Okiya Omutata, a member. But City Clerk Philip Kisia said they would not back down.

He said a report on a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) had recommended that the council hike its parking rates to decongest the city.