By our correspondent | Wajir Today | Wednesday, 4 February 2026
Traders in Garissa have spoken out against what they describe as crippling multiple taxation along Kenya’s major transport corridors, warning that repeated county levies on the same goods are driving up prices, squeezing profits and threatening the survival of small businesses.
The concerns were laid bare during a public participation forum on the proposed National Trade Development Bill, 2025, held at the Garissa Government Guest House, where residents and business owners voiced frustration over what they say is an unfair and uncoordinated system of revenue collection.
For Mohamed Hussein, a livestock trader who has operated in Garissa for more than a decade, every journey to market has become a costly gamble.
“We are taxed at several points as we move our goods,” he said. “By the time you reach the destination, you have already paid at Tana River Bridge, Kithyoko, Thika and other stops. This has made doing business very expensive.”
Hussein said revenue officers from different counties are stationed along the same routes, forcing traders to pay multiple levies for a single consignment.
Grocery trader Deka Mohamed echoed his concerns, saying double taxation is quietly killing small-scale trade.
“We are not refusing to pay taxes,” she said. “The problem is being charged more than once for the same goods. By the time we reach the market, the profit is already gone. Sometimes we even sell at a loss.”
She singled out Tana River and Kithyoko as hotspots, claiming officers from neighbouring counties often operate side by side, collecting separate charges at the same points.
Local artisans and informal traders say the ripple effects are being felt across Garissa’s economy.
Ben Marango, the Garissa County Jua Kali Secretary-General, warned that rising transport costs are pushing up consumer prices and discouraging inter-county trade.
“Multiple taxation makes goods more expensive and discourages small traders who depend on road transport,” he said. “We hope this Bill will harmonise taxes and give clear rules to stop double charging.”
Officials from the State Department for Trade, who led the forum, acknowledged the problem and said the new law is designed to fix long-standing gaps in Kenya’s trade framework.
Samuel Murega Muraya said Kenya has never had a single, comprehensive trade law, leaving room for overlapping licences, duplicated fees and regulatory confusion.
“There has been a lot of charging for double licences, and that is something this Bill expressly addresses,” he said.
Muraya clarified that counties are not allowed to levy charges on goods moving along national highways unless they provide supporting infrastructure, such as designated parking or loading facilities.
“All goods in transit on national highways are not subject to county charges,” he said.
The proposed Bill seeks to harmonise business licensing, restrict trade-related fees that hinder the free movement of goods and strengthen coordination between national and county governments.
It also includes measures to support micro, small and medium enterprises, women, youth and other marginalised groups through improved access to finance, skills training and mentorship.
