Court Now Blocks Sh300 Parking Fees in Nairobi

Motorists in the Kenyan capital got reprieve on Thursday after the High Court suspended implementation of Sh300 parking fees until January 13 following an appeal by 26 Matatu Saccos.

Justice Isaac Lenaola put on hold his earlier decision that paved way for the Nairobi City County to increase the parking fees from current Sh140 to Sh300.

The Saccos’ lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui argues the new Finance Bill will affect consumers and that the provisions of the Constitution don’t allow the County Government to levy such an amount of money.

The Court of Appeal will hear the case on January 13.

Matatu operators had sued the County of Nairobi, Nairobi City County Board and the Attorney General for seeking to effect an irregular Sh300 parking fee.

They argued that they have not been duly notified of the existence of the proposed increment and were not involved in determining an issue that directly affects them.

The legislation was to have come into effect following the approval of the County Finance Bill.

It proposed to raise fees for saloon cars parked in the CBD to Sh300 and Sh200 for those parked outside the CBD.

Saloon cars parked in emerging business centres like Westlands, Ngara, Highridge, Upper Hill, Community, Ngara, Industrial Area, Gigiri, Lavington and Karen are to draw the same fee as those in the CBD.

Areas classified as being outside CBD include Buru Buru Shopping Centre, Pangani, Muthaiga, Eastleigh, Ngong Road, Kombo Munyiri, New Pumwani Road, Langata Road, Kariokor and Ziwani Shopping Centre.

Parking in non-automated areas with the CBD would go up by Sh200 shillings to Sh400 shillings while automated parking will attract a charge of Sh50 per hour. Loss of your parking ticket will attract a fine of Sh1,000.

Motorists seeking monthly seasonal parking tickets will part with Sh5,000 from Sh2,000, while those on quarterly season tickets will pay Sh12,000 from Sh5,500.

The County Government proposed to introduce half year and full year season ticket which will retail at Sh34,000 and Sh58,000 respectively.