Police officers lobbed teargas canisters to disperse traders protesting increased market charges in Burma Market, along Jogoo Road in Nairobi’s Eastlands.
Chaos rocked the usually busy market as the traders went up in arms to express their disapproval of the new charges.
In videos shared from the scene, the traders engaged police officers in running battles, as clouds of teargas took over the skies.
Traders who spoke to the media lamented the increase, noting that it was not justifiable.
“We have not seen any development in the market warranting this increment,” one of the traders noted.
According to them, the County government has raised the cess for butchers operating in the market from the previous Ksh150 per cow to the Ksh300.
Additionally, the traders noted that the newly implemented tax measures require them to pay additional taxes for different parts of the cows slaughtered in Burma Market, including the head, intestines popularly known as matumbo and limbs.
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“They have raised cess for cows. We used to pay Ksh150 per cow but for now we are paying Ksh300 per cow. They have also divided parts of the cow to include charges for internal parts, the legs, and the head,” a trader noted.
Sakaja introduces new tax measures
The protests came days after Governor Johnson Sakaja assented the Nairobi County Finance Bill into law which made changes on several charges in the jurisdiction of the county government.
In addition to the revised market charges, the County government also increased rent rates for all tenants residing in county government houses in the city.
Further, the Finance Act raised parking fees for motorists in the city as part of the county government’s measures to maximize revenue generation.
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With the new measures, the county government under the stewardship of Sakaja set its sight on a revenue generation target of Ksh 19 billion.
The new tax measures, however, were subjected to criticism from some quarters with leaders including Senator Edwin Sifuna accusing Sakaja of overburdening Nairobi constituents.
Besides the tax increment row, Sakaja’s government has been on the spot over several policies adopted in relation to traders.
On Wednesday, October 25, Sakaja announced an immediate ban of hawkers who were previously operating on the streets of Nairobi CBD.
The move, according to him, would help to restore order and tranquility amid complaints of hawkers taking over pedestrian walks on the streets and blocking entrances to shops.
About one week ago, Sakaja’s government was criticized after county law enforcement officers better known as kanjos raided tens of smokie vendors, impounding their trollies and scattering their smokies on the streets.
