There has been a dispute between transporters, container yards, shipping lines and the Mombasa County Government, which is attempting to collect parking and waste fees through the Kenya Ports Authority.
The county government has appointed KPA as the main promoter of parking fee collection for heavy vehicles and commercial vehicles accessing Mombasa County ports and within the county.
It is also seeking the power to collect waste management fees from all vessels docking at Mombasa Port on behalf of the authorities.
Truck parking charges apply to Grain Bulk Handling Limited, African Gas and Oil Company (AGOL) Limited, empty container warehouses, refineries, and others using the port terminal without accessing the port premises. Applies to port users.
“In light of this designation, the Kenya Ports Authority will be able to efficiently and effectively collect parking fees from heavy vehicles and commercial vehicles operating within these areas from May 15, 2024,” KPA Money said. Director William Ruto said in a notice.
According to transport operators who spoke to the Star, commercial vehicles accessing the port will have to pay a parking fee of Sh600.
Shipping companies are also required to pay a waste management fee of $2 (Shs262) per 100 tonnes based on the vessel's registered gross tonnage.
The minimum charge for a vessel is $200 (Sh26,600), while the maximum charge is set at $1,500 (Sh196,500) every seven days.
The Mombasa County Solid Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2023 obliges the Mombasa County Government to collect solid waste management fees from vessels docked at Mombasa Port.
Yesterday, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nasir told The Star in an interview that the revised parking fees were a measure to plug revenue leakages that some truck drivers are avoiding paying.
“We have noticed that some trucks are not paying their tolls. Either fleet managers are colluding with authorities or truckers are finding other ways to avoid paying the required parking fees. It’s one or the other,” Nasir told The Star over the phone.
He said that from now on, KPA will check whether the payment has been completed before the truck enters the port to collect the cargo.
Nasir said the county government has reduced fines and fees for unpaid parking fees by 50 percent in an effort to provide a fresh start and increase enforcement.
“We have found that in most cases it is not the fault of the truck owner, but the manager or foreman who had the funds but failed to pay,” he said.
The governor said shipping companies will also have to pay fees to local governments, as collection of waste discharged at ports will be handled by county governments. This is an international standard.
The Shippers Council of East Africa (SCEA) supports the payment of waste management fees, but said there needs to be a clear implementation plan.
“We appreciate that Mombasa County needs to pay for parking. But we need clarity on how it will be implemented and we need a framework for that,” Acting CEO Agayo Ogunbi said, adding that “Scea “We support the need for trucks to pay for parking.”
However, the Empty Container Warehouse Association opposes the move, saying it would target trucks moving between warehouses and the port, even though their respective offices already charge for parking.
The trucks also pay KPA an annual fee of Sh3,000 for a port access pass.
“Our position is that KPA will withhold the notification until further clarification from the county. Parking applies if you park your truck, but you can drive from your yard to KPA without stopping anywhere. If it moves, parking should not apply unless the county has finished collecting revenue,” Commissioner Richard Okwili told the Star.
But Nasir said there was no need to pay for moving trucks.
Kenya Transport Association chairman Newton Wangu said he was seeking a meeting with the governor to address outstanding issues.
“It seems difficult to implement. We don't understand the dynamics, so we hope to meet with the governor in the next two or three days,” he said.
On the other hand, vessels owned or operated by the government other than those engaged in commercial transactions, vessels owned or operated by the KPA, licensed ferries operating exclusively within ports, vessels of less than 500 gross registered tonnage and between Kenyan ports. Vessels traded and waste disposal fees will be waived.
