Nairobi traders threaten to withhold taxes over arbitrary allocation of bus stages

Traders in Nairobi’s city centre have threatened to withhold taxes to the county government if the haphazard allocation of matatu and bus stops is not rectified within 90 days.

The traders said the new stages allocated to matatus have disrupted their businesses.

The traders, who met Starehe MP Maina Kamanda on Monday, urged him to petition Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero on the issue.

They said they were losing business as a result of City Hall's decision to allocate matatu operators several more bus stops in the city.

They said pollution, hooting, loud music and uncouth language by touts has made customers shy away from their shops.

“Each trader is paying up to Sh200,000 in taxes per year but the new stages are preventing customers from accessing our premises,” said Mr Kuria Githaiga, a trader.

The traders said even eateries have been affected. Bernard Githaiga, who owns a hotel in downtown Nairobi, said the new stages have hurt his business.

“The pollution and the noise from the touts, not forgetting that the buses are packed just outside the hotel, have really pushed customers away,” he said.

The roads that are most affected include Luthuli Avenue, Munyu Road, Ronald Ngala Street and Sheikh Karume Road.

“There seems to be a deliberate move to disable us financially. We have complained to City Hall, but there has not been a positive response,” said Mr. Githaiga.

Mr Kamanda said he was aware City Hall’s engineering and inspectorate departments were colluding with powerful matatu operators to turn the mentioned roads into “a big bus stop”, thereby affecting businesses.

“Matatu operators are paying Sh4 million to get these booths even without considering that traders require their own spaces to load or unload their wares,” said Mr Kamanda.

He said matatus ought to be in properly designated areas.

He asked traders to appoint 10 people, whom he would lead to a meeting with the governor.