Nairobi City County has set new fees for business, construction, public health, advertising, market and other county services under the Nairobi City County Tariffs and Pricing Policy 2025–2030.
For trade licensing, the county has set a baseline rate of KSh844 per square metre of commercial space under the Single Business Permit framework.
“A trade licensing tariff shall be a levy charged to traders by the county government as a prerequisite to conducting business within the County’s jurisdiction. On payment of the tariffs, a trader shall be issued a trade license,” reads part of the policy.
The charges are structured according to the size and category of a business, with businesses classified as Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Mega and Hyper based on their floor area and number of employees.
Under the categorization, Hyper businesses occupy more than 5,000 square metres and employ more than 100 people, while Mega businesses occupy between 4,001 and 5,000 square metres and have 76 to 100 employees.
Large businesses occupy between 3,001 and 4,000 square metres and employ 51 to 75 people, while Medium businesses occupy between 2,001 and 3,000 square metres and have 21 to 50 employees.
The Small category covers businesses occupying 1,001 to 2,000 square metres and employing 11 to 20 people, while Mini businesses occupy up to 1,000 square metres and have between one and 10 employees.
Nairobi County Rules on Advertising
The policy sets the baseline cost of outdoor advertising in Nairobi at KSh24,539 annually per client or premise.
The charge applies to various forms of outdoor advertising, including billboards, banners, branded street furniture, digital screens and transit advertisements placed in public spaces or on county-managed infrastructure.
The county arrived at the rate after calculating the annual cost of managing and regulating the outdoor advertising sector at KSh2.42 billion.
The figure comprises KSh1.47 billion in direct operational costs and KSh956.06 million in indirect operational costs.
Direct costs include KSh929.6 million for staff salaries, KSh165.3 million for information and communication technology, KSh151.2 million for sanitation and ablution services, and KSh120.8 million for staff medical insurance.
The county also allocated KSh74.6 million for street lighting, KSh14.6 million for vehicle maintenance, and KSh10 million for vehicles and equipment.
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Indirect costs include KSh645.7 million for health services, KSh232.4 million for environmental management, KSh55.7 million for firefighting, KSh15.2 million for fuel, and KSh7 million for vehicle insurance.
The baseline fee was calculated by dividing the total annual sector cost by 98,706 registered clients and premises.
However, the KSh24,539 figure serves as a baseline, with the actual amount payable varying depending on the location, size, type and duration of an advertisement.
The policy introduces a zonal approach in which advertisements placed in high exposure areas such as the Central Business District, major highways and busy commercial centres attract higher charges than those in lower exposure areas.
The county will also consider the advertising format, including whether a display is static or digital, as well as the duration for which it is displayed.
Commercial advertising and public interest announcements will also be subject to different considerations under the tariff framework.
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Other Permits
For public health and food safety services, the policy sets a KSh2,349 fee per person for food handlers undergoing medical examination every two years.
Food safety services are charged at KSh7,126 per premise annually, while pest control clearance certification under the Integrated Pest Management programme costs KSh6,495 per premise annually.
Traders operating in public markets will face a minimum access charge of KSh2,270 per market slot per day under the new tariff framework.
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