By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 13 December 2025 - Nairobi County has sought to quell growing public concern over a possible increase in parking fees following the introduction of the Tariff and Pricing Policy 2025–2030, with the county’s top revenue official insisting that no immediate hike is planned.
County Receiver of Revenue Tiras Njoroge in a press statement, dismissed media reports suggesting that parking fees in the capital will rise from KSh 300 to KSh 520, clarifying that the newly unveiled policy is a long-term pricing framework rather than a directive to increase charges.
The clarification comes amid heightened sensitivity over the cost of living and renewed public scrutiny of county revenue measures. Parking fees, which affect thousands of motorists daily, have often been a flashpoint in debates about Nairobi County’s fiscal decisions.
According to Njoroge, the Tariff and Pricing Policy is designed to guide how the county sets, reviews, and adjusts all fees and charges—including parking, business permits, markets, and health services—over the next five years. He emphasised that the document establishes principles and processes, not new tariffs.
“This is not a fee increment policy,” Njoroge said.
“For any charge to be changed, it must go through the Finance Act process and take into account economic realities and public interest.”
At the centre of the controversy is a cost analysis contained in the policy, which estimates that it costs the county about KSh 520 to provide a single parking service. While this figure has been widely interpreted as a proposed new parking fee, county officials say it merely reflects the actual cost of service provision rather than a price decision.
Njoroge explained that the analysis is part of a broader effort to link county charges to the real cost of delivering services—an approach that has been largely absent since devolution. Nairobi, he noted, is the first county government to develop a comprehensive tariff and pricing policy of this nature.
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The policy, he said, was developed in response to years of complaints about arbitrary fees, revenue leakages, and legal challenges arising from poorly justified charges.
In anchoring pricing decisions in research and cost analysis, the county hopes to create a more transparent, predictable, and legally defensible revenue system.
“Governor Johnson Sakaja is not planning to hike any service charge,” Njoroge said, adding that the county leadership is acutely aware of the prevailing economic pressures facing residents and businesses.
From a policy perspective, the Tariff and Pricing Policy marks a shift toward cost-based pricing in county governance, a model often recommended by public finance experts but rarely implemented in practice. Supporters argue that such an approach can improve service delivery, enhance financial sustainability, and promote equity by ensuring users understand what they are paying for and why.
However, critics remain cautious, warning that cost-based analyses can still be used to justify future increases once the policy framework is in place. The county’s assurance that any changes must pass through the Finance Act process—complete with public participation and assembly approval—appears aimed at addressing those concerns.
Njoroge said the policy will serve as the legal and administrative foundation for responsible fee adjustments between 2025 and 2030, with an emphasis on accountability and value for money. Any future changes, he added, will be gradual, consultative, and aligned with both economic conditions and service delivery outcomes.
As Nairobi continues to grapple with balancing revenue generation and public welfare, the real test of the new policy may lie not in its technical design but in how transparently and cautiously it is applied in the years ahead.
