Makueni County Government has announced new charges for hawkers, as well as egg, smokie, and mutura vendors, aiming to boost Own Source Revenue collection. The proposed charges are outlined in the Makueni County Finance Bill, 2024, awaiting approval by the County Assembly.
Under Mutula Kilonzo’s administration, new daily charges for fruit and vegetable traders have also been introduced. The Finance Bill specifies a daily fee of Ksh200 and a monthly fee of Ksh800 for general hawking with a vehicle, with higher fees applied if a canter is used. Vendors of mahindi chomas, mutura, and egg/smokies trolleys will face new monthly charges of Ksh200.
Hawkers selling seedlings at nurseries will need to pay Ksh50 per crate sold. Market entrance fees have been revised to Ksh100 for every crate or carton of grapes, apples, and passion fruit. Additionally, selling watermelons will incur a minimum daily fee of Ksh200, and cabbages will have a Ksh100 daily fee.
Items with a daily fee of Ksh400 to Ksh500 will be subject to a Ksh5,000 monthly charge, and all vehicles transporting agricultural produce must pay Ksh10,000 for market access in Makueni.
The Bill has sparked criticism among Makueni residents, who argue that there was insufficient public participation in drafting the new charges. Activists have vowed to organize demonstrations to oppose the Bill.
Makueni County, with a poverty rate of 68%, among the highest in Kenya, collected Ksh891 million in Own Source Revenue in the 2022/23 financial year and targets Ksh1.2 billion for 2023/24.
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