The Mombasa County Government has announced a waiver of penalties and interest on truck parking tolls and fees.
In a gazette notice signed by the Mombasa County Executive Committee Member for Finance, Evans Oanda, the county stated that the waivers will be in effect until March 31, 2025.
“Notice is given that pursuant to the powers conferred by Article 210 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Section 159 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, and Sections 6 and 7 of the Mombasa County Tax Waiver and Variations Act, 2017, and all other enabling laws, upon obtaining concurrence from the Governor of Mombasa County, the County Executive Committee Member for Finance has waived all penalties and interest on truck parking/toll fees,” the notice read.
“This notice takes effect from January 29, 2025, to March 31, 2025,” it added.
Kenyan trucks at Kenya-Uganda border
Photo
Trademark Africa
The announcement comes weeks after a standoff between the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and truck owners over the parking fee at the port.
Since last year, commercial vehicles operating within Mombasa County, including those at Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) facilities, container freight stations (CFSs), and various warehouse zones, have been required to pay a parking fee of Ksh 700—a fee that truckers strongly opposed.
The Road Haulers Association (RHA), representing owners of over 1,500 trucks, warned that its members would refuse to pick up cargo from the port unless the fee was reduced.
However, Mombasa County Chief Officer Dr Noah Akala said that the parking fees were not a new levy, emphasizing that the fee had been in place even before Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s election.
According to Dr Akala, the county conducted public participation and reached an agreement with representatives of the Mombasa Port Community to pay the fee through the authority.
“Mombasa County government only entered into a partnership with KPA to help them collect this fee after it was realized that some businessmen in the town were evading paying the levy,” Dr Akala explained.
Approximately 1,500 trucks collect cargo from the Port of Mombasa daily, meaning the county government could potentially earn Ksh 378 million from the levy each day.
On January 30, 2025, the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LoDDCA) staged a protest at the Mombasa Port, citing excessive fees they had been forced to pay while carrying out their operations.
The protest, which involved several drivers and conductors, was driven by their dissatisfaction with the high fees imposed on them, including the controversial parking fee that had been introduced earlier in the year. This move reflected the growing frustration among truckers and other stakeholders operating in the port area.
A port official handling containers at the Mombasa Port on April 7, 2022.
Photo
Kenya Ports Authority