- Nassir intimated that residents and investors pay highest taxes in the country, which makes Mombasa an unattractive for business.
- The county said it has to raise revenue to provide essential, timely and proper services to the people.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir has pledged to review taxes in the county if he wins the Mombasa governor seat.
Nassir said residents and investors pay highest taxes in the country, which makes Mombasa unattractive for business.
“No nation has ever grown by overtaxing its citizens,” Nassir said at Kwa Jomvu Primary School on Sunday.
Jomvu MP Badi Twalib said boda boda operators, tuk tuk drivers and other small scale businessmen in his constituency bear the brunt of high taxes.
“I have been talking to my brother Nassir and I keep on telling him to make this one of his priorities because our youth are suffering,” Twalib said.
The two spoke after Twalib issued Sh4.7 million Uwezo Fund to 71 groups and gave 10 motorcycles to youths in the area.
Twalib said the Nassir-Francis Thoya ticket is the best for Mombasa residents.
“These two love their people and they deliver development for them. It is natural in them to serve,” Twalib said.
Businessmen in Mombasa have been decrying high taxes, which they say increases the cost of doing business and scares investors.
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mombasa chapter, Kenya Trade Network Agency and the Youth Empowerment Programme Initiative have been calling for dialogue between the business community, the youth and the county government to strategise on how to arrest the situation.
The business stakeholders said Mombasa is a key city that has a huge influence on the economy of the country.
They said taxes and other levies are too high, making most businesses unsustainable.
The county said it has to raise revenue to provide essential, timely and proper services to the people.
In 2020, the county raised some levies and taxes as contained in the Finance Bill 2019-20.
For instance, hotel licences were increased from Sh85,000 to Sh150,000 annually, a 70 per cent increment, depending on the size and classification of the facilities.
Casinos had their operational charges raised to Sh500,000 annually from Sh100,000.
Bars with a capacity of over 60 patrons will now be paying an annual fee of Sh60,000 up from Sh22,500.
Liquor licences for nightclubs have doubled from Sh100,000 to Sh200,000. Single business permit fees also shot up.
However, Sam Ikwaye, a tourism stakeholder, said only the liquor licenses remained the same as in pre-2020.
“However, those taxes are still high compared to other counties,” Ikwaye said on phone, Monday.
He said the 50 per cent waiver during the Covid-19 pandemic was not implemented because the county assembly did not approve it.
Nassir is facing off with UDA’s Hassan Omar and Wiper’s Mike Sonko— who is yet to be cleared o vie— in the race to succeed Governor Hassan Joho.
Sonko’s entry into the race has rattled ODM and UDA, who have now gone back to the drawing board.
However, Sonko has numerous hurdles, including court cases against his candidature. On Saturday, he said he will still be on the ballot.
He, however indicated that although Mombasa needs a major change in leadership, his win is not a matter of life and death.
“Even if I do not become the governor or I do not reach the ballot, I will still campaign to ensure these tycoons controlling Mombasa go home,” Sonko said at his Salama Beach Resort in Kilifi.
Nassir said his administration will fight to have Mombasa benefit from the Mombasa port, which he said is the county’s natural resource.
“We must benefit from it. We must have a certain percentage of the port revenue remaining in Mombasa,” Nassir said.
“Our counterparts in other counties have national parks, others have coffee and tea. We enjoy benefits from our natural resources."
Twalib said Nassir has learnt some vital lessons on leadership from his mentor and ODM party leader Raila Odinga and he will make Mombasa prosper.
“Just like the Raila-Karua ticket is a sure bet for a prosperous Kenya, the Nassir-Thoya ticket is the same for Mombasa,” Twalib said.
“Any Raila student has the capability to transform any county or even country through strong leadership, because they learn from the best."
(Edited by Tabnacha O)