• Some of the new charges proposed by the executive include different parking fees for different city zones.
• Committee will deliberate on proposed fees and table final bill in the assembly.
Nairobi residents will have an opportunity to give their opinions on the proposed Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2019 as public participation kicks off on Tuesday.
The forums headed by the county assembly Finance, Budget and Appropriation committee will give the common wananchi a platform to interact with legislators on proposed taxes.
Committee chairman Robert Mbatia on Monday said the event will take four weeks with sittings happening every Tuesday in different locations.
"We wanted to diversify more this year unlike last year where we had two venues, in Waithaka and Jericho," he said.
The exercise kicks off in Langata subcounty at Uhuru Gardens Primary School on Tuesday from 11am.
It targets residents from Kibra and Lang'ata.
The next event will be held on August 8 in Dagoretti North subcounty at St John's Catholic Church and targets those who reside in Dagoretti North, South and Westlands.
For Eastlands residents, the public participation will be held on August 13 in Embakasi Central subcounty at the Kayole Social Hall.
It will accommodate residents from Embakasi Central, East, West, North, South and Roysambu.
The final event will take place in Starehe subcounty at the Kariokor Social Hall on August 16 and will host residents from Starehe, Kamukunji, Makadara, Mathare and Ruaraka subcounties.
"The committee is prepared for the exercise which is open to all residents of Nairobi and other involved sectors," Mbatia said.
Mbatia, the Kariobangi ward rep, said the committee expects to hear views from residents on the charges that directly affect them such as garbage and other household charges.
"The general public has always felt that they are overtaxed while the rich are not taxed. Let them now take this opportunity and air their views on the bill and also give out proposals."
The chairman said they will also expect feedback on the overall view on last year’s Finance Bill which was the first to be passed by the new administration.
The Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2019 was read for the first time on July 3 and committed to the Finance committee for consideration and submission of a report to the assembly.
Some of the new charges proposed by the executive include different parking fees for different zones in the city.
The charges are Sh400 within the Central Business District, Sh300 for zones bordering CBD like Westlands, Upperhill and Parklands, Sh200 for places much further away from the CBD like Muthurwa and Sh100 in the residential places.
Nairobi residents will have to pay to keep pets and get fire inspection certificates. Those with cats and dogs will be required to pay a new health inspection fee of Sh1,000.
According to the Finance Bill 2019, each household will be required to pay Sh2,000 per year for a fire certificate.
After the public participation, the committee will go back and deliberate on the proposed fees before the Finance Bill is tabled before the assembly.
Edited by R.Wamochie