You should be able to park your vehicle within the Narobi Central Business District on Saturdays without fears of being charged any fees, Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja has declared.
The new directive was welcomed by Nairobi residents who previously only enjoyed a waiver in parking fees in the CBD on Sundays.
“Yes, parking is now free on Saturdays. You can come to town, park your car, and not pay anything. Previously, only Sundays were free, but now we’ve expanded this to Saturdays as well,” Sakaja said in a statement.
According to the governor, the move was part of his county government’s effort to ease the financial burden on Kenyans while also maximising on revenue collection during business days.
Vehicles pictured along Nairobi’s Central Business District in March 2022.
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Capital
He added, “This ensures we maximise revenue collection on weekdays while allowing Nairobians to enjoy free parking over the weekend.”
Following the directive, motorists will not be required to pay parking fees in the Nairobi CBD all weekend.
In 2024, City Hall temporarily issued a waiver to private motorists on paying parking fees in the Nairobi CBD, in line with the Tax Waivers Administration Act.
A gazette notice signed by CEC Charles Kerich revealed that the waiver was in line with the governor’s recommendation and concurrence.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 5 (2) (a) of the Nairobi City County Tax Waivers Administration Act, 2013, the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning in concurrence with the Governor, Nairobi City County, waives parking fees for all private motorist in Nairobi on Saturdays until June 30, 2024.” the notice read.
The latest move is set to largely benefit owners of private vehicles who operate within the CBD. Previously, motorists could spend up to KSh1600 in parking fees alone during the week, but that figure could drop significantly following the waiver.
In terms of streamlining the city, the CBD has been one of Sakaja’s toughest projects as he attempts to restore sanity in Nairobi while also appeasing his electorate.
Recently, the Nairobi City County Government gave content creators leeway to shoot videos and take photos over the weekend free of charge – a move which was welcome, particularly by the so-called ‘Gen-Z’.
Last week, the governor also issued a notice to hawkers within the CBD, detailing specific lanes and roads where hawking was disallowed.
Nairobi Governor Sakaja chaired the 24th Cabinet meeting of the Nairobi County Government on April 30, 2024
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Nairobi County Government