Police teargas protesters for Kenya as traders close shops to protest increase in tax

Traders for Kenya capital, Nairobi close down hundreds of shops and enta street to protest against wetin dem dey call rising taxes and customs charges on imported goods.

Di demonstration bin start for di Central Business District for Nairobi on Friday as traders waka go di Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices.

According to local tori pipo and Reuters, police use tear gas to take pursue protesters from di area as di demonstrations start to dey bubble.

Wetin cause all dis kasala be say recently, di KRA bin increase di value wey dem give consolidated 40-foot container to 3.2 million Kenyan shillings ($24,700) from 2.5 million shillings ($19,300).

Wetin dat one come mean be say di new benchmark increase di valuation by 700,000 Kenyan shillings ($5,400) even as di new benchmark bin start for August 20, 2026.

Di measure go affect small scale importers in particular wey consolidate dia goods wit oda traders wey dey share container.

Dis na as many of dem dey import dia products from China.

Traders dey para say dis higher benchmark go increase dia clearing and imports costs.

One of di traders, Muturi Kariuki bin dey among di traders wey bin close dia businesses to protest.

Kariuki tell Reuters say, "we dey tanda for our citizenship and right to di business and di right ti build our future."

Most businesses bin dey closed during di protests as traders bin join am to express dia opposition to di new taxes.

Videos wey dey spread for social media show traders as dem dey do demonstrations for di city centre dey blow whistle and vuvuzelas as dem bin dey match for road.

Di traders tell local tori pipo say dem go dey protest evri Friday till di authorities arrange meeting make dem for negotiate.

Why Kenya dey add dis container tax valuation for Kenyan traders head?

Di KRA don torchlight di consolidation cargo valuation minimum yield na risk management reference wey dey under di simplified clearance arrangement.

Dis one means say no be di actual tax liability wey dem dey use for evri container.

Infact according to di Commissioner of Custons and border control, e tok say di traders fit even comot from di simplified arrangement and ask for di request verification so dem go determine di actual goods, value and classification.

Traders fit also fit de-consolidate and make individual declarations wey go dey based on dia own goods gan-gan.

KRA bin tok say "di customs value of imported goods dey influenced by many factors wey include di cost of di goods, insurance and freight amng odas".

Di last time wey dem revise dis minimum yield test na for di 2022/23 financial year.

Following di protests, dem comot to clear di air say no be say dme introduce new tax, wetin happun be say dem put benchmark wey be "di reference wey dey used for di simplified clearance arrangement."