Governor Sakaja’s administration recently announced that vehicles would be allowed to park in Nairobi at no charge on Saturdays and Sundays. Previously, the waiver only applied on Sundays.
The new policy has been well received by citizens and businesses within the CBD. The clarification indicates that parking fees will only apply from Monday to Friday.
“Yes, parking is free on Saturdays. You can come to town, park your car, and not pay anything. Previously, only Sundays were free, but we’ve adjusted this to include Saturdays,” Sakaja stated.
Sakaja noted that this was part of his administration’s effort to ease Kenyans’ financial burden while ensuring maximised revenue collection.
“This ensures we maximize revenue collection during weekdays while giving Nairobians the chance to enjoy free parking over the weekend.”
The move is a win for many, including small business owners running enterprises in the CBD and parking attendants in the city. One such entrepreneur is James Ngunjiri whose business is located at Pioneer House.
“Every Saturday, I save at least Sh. 400 since Sakaja took over. That’s Sh. 1,600 a month, which I can now reinvest in my business. It’s a great move for those of us who rely on private vehicles to operate,” he said.
How do I survive in Nairobi with Sh. 29,449 net salary?
On the other hand, Bonnie, a parking attendant along Kenyatta Avenue stated that they receive more tips on weekends than during the weekdays when motorists incur parking fees.
“Car owners usually give us Sh. 50 or even Sh. 100 to watch their cars since they don’t pay the county. I make more money now,” Bonnie noted.
The Nairobi administration has also effected other beneficial policies such as allowing city content creators to shoot videos and take photos during weekends free of charge.
Furthermore, a notice was issued to CBD hawkers detailing specific lanes and roads where they could conduct their businesses. Hawking will only be permitted from Mondays to Saturday from 4pm to 10pm.
Some of the main streets where hawking has been prohibited include Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road and River Road.
