Nairobi’s motorists can breathe easier today after City Hall categorically shot down swirling rumors that parking fees in the capital were set to nearly double.

Speculation had been rife that daily charges would leap from KES 300 to KES 520, a move that would have squeezed household budgets already straining under the weight of inflation. However, officials insist the new Tariff and Pricing Policy 2025–2030 is a governance tool, not a tax bill.

The Cost vs. Price Distinction

The confusion stemmed from a figure contained within the policy documents. Tiras Njoroge, the county’s Receiver of Revenue, clarified that while internal analysis shows it costs the county KES 520 to provide a single parking slot’s service, this figure is a benchmark for cost recovery, not the retail price for the citizen.

Njoroge emphasized that the policy is a strategic framework designed to guide how the city sets, reviews, and adjusts charges over the next five years. It covers a broad spectrum of revenue streams, including:

• Parking fees
• Business permits
• Market access fees
• Health service charges

“The governor is not planning to hike any service charge,” Njoroge stated, addressing the public outcry directly. “The county is sensitive to the current economic times and the needs of Nairobi residents.”

A Blueprint for Predictability

City Hall frames this policy as a historic step toward fiscal maturity. Njoroge noted that Nairobi is the first devolved unit to develop such a codified pricing strategy. The goal is to replace arbitrary price setting with a standardized, predictable system that businesses and residents can plan around.

However, the existence of the policy does not grant the executive unilateral power to change rates. The Receiver of Revenue stressed that the democratic process remains the ultimate gatekeeper.

“For any charge to be changed, it must go through the Finance Act making process and reflect economic realities and public interest,” Njoroge affirmed, placing the ball firmly back in the court of public participation before any future price tags are written.