Governor Kidero Reaffirms County Government Commitment to Businesses

KAM and other BMOs Engage County Government over Business Community Concerns

A business Community delegation led by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) today engaged Nairobi County Government on various issues that have hindered the ease of doing business in Nairobi during a Governor’s Roundtable. Some of the key issues presented include: County Fees and charges, Overlapping regulations, Inter-County business challenges, State and Decongestion of Roads, Garbage collection in the city, Inspection of new buildings, land grabbing, Cashless Payment among others.

Speaking at the forum, KAM Head of Membership, Mr. Tobias Alando stated that the growth of a business is driven by government’s support. “Our members and other business have continued to face challenges of increasing County fees and charges, overlapping regulations yet combined, we contribute quite substantially to both the county and national government revenue. The issues presented here make it very hard to conduct normal business operations let alone plans to expand,” added Mr. Alando.

The Business Community raised issues concerning public participation and asked the County Government to incorporate stakeholder input into the development and formulation of County laws which affect business operations and the overall cost of doing business. KAM Director, Mr. Bharat Shah informed the County Government of the need to come up with easier means of doing business. “Thriving business community is a reflection of the government’s support. All we want is for Kenyan businesses to be competitive. If this aspect is compromised locally, the cross border trade will be even harder to navigate. The County Government has to therefore commit to providing a predictable regulatory environment for ease of doing business,” added Mr. Shah.

Nairobi County Governor, Dr. Kidero acknowledged the issues presented by the BMOs stating that the issues raised today will make a lot difference in making Nairobi County a better investment destination. “We need to work together with you to make Nairobi the city of choice to live in, work with and invest in. Nairobi County will set up quarterly forums for dialogue with the business community” said Dr. Kidero. He added that lighting is a key security measure for businesses in the County.

Nairobi County Business Coalition Chairman Mr. Kenneth Mutai stated that this forum provides the business community with an opportunity to suggest solutions and have a mutually beneficial relationship with the County Government. “We are grateful to Nairobi County Governor and the County Executive Commissioner (CEC) for giving the Business Coalition an opportunity to present our issues and come up with solutions together,” added Mr. Mutai.

KAM will be holding similar forums in other counties towards the end of the year.