Motorists parking their vehicles in Nairobi will have to pay more to get a parking ticket, as the county government hopes to single-handedly raise Ksh20 billion in their Finance Bill 2023/2024 to reinvigorate economic activity and growth around Kenya’s capital.
The hiking of parking rates is also an effort to come to grips with the looming city’s congestion problem as it is an enabler to covering growing maintenance costs and opening up new parking bays.
In inner areas near Nairobi City Centre, known as Parking Zone I, covering the Central Business District (CBD) including Kijabe Street, Westlands, Upperhill, Community, Ngara, Highridge, Industrial area, Gigiri, Kilimani, Yaya Centre, Milimani, Hurligham, Lavington, Karen and Eastleigh, Muthaiga, Gikomba, Nairobi West areas, the parking charges for saloon cars increased by Ksh100 and it is now Ksh300.
For those driving minivans and five-tonne lorries and above, parking in Nairobi will be a costly affair, as they are set to pay even more – Ksh500 from the previous Ksh200 and Ksh3000 up from Ksh1000, respectively.
Parking fees vary citywide by zone, and at Parking Zone II, which includes designated on-street car parks, the unautomated ones in marketplaces, and all areas that are not listed in Zone One, Nairobi City County Government cut the rates from Ksh200 to Ksh100 for personal saloon cars and Ksh150 from the initial Ksh200 for parking vans and pickups.
Nairobians can use Nairobi Pay to view available parking zones across the city, see how much they will be charged for parking there, and make the payment.
Under the new finance bill, Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja aims to introduce free parking around religious centers, churches, mosques, and temples.
