Machakos residents boycott public participation on fuel levy

Jul 9, 2024 - 15:30

Only two people who attended the Public participation on the proposed fuel levy at the KERRA offices in Machakos town.( Photo by Anne Kangero).

Machakos,

Tuesday July 9, 2024

KNA by Anne Kangero

Machakos residents boycotted public participation on the review of roads maintenance levy fund held at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) in Machakos town, with only two people turning up.

The public participation event, which had been announced through an advert in the newspaper by the Ministry of Roads and Transport was to receive comments from the public on the review of roads maintenance levy fund imposition of levy order 2016 by increasing the road maintenance levy on petrol and diesel.

According to Eng. Cyprian Mukuva, the KERRA Lower Eastern Regional Director, the empty seats could mean that people do not want the proposed increase on fuel levy.

One of the participants, Martin Mulati, a truck driver in Machakos said they had been waiting for over 4 hours for others to turn up so that the meeting could start, but it was in all vain, since he was looking forward to airing his views on the proposed levy.

Mulati attributed the low attendance to lack of adequate sensitization of locals through the chiefs and village elders, which would have a generated a bigger number of people.

This comes a week after the President declined to sign into law the contentious Finance bill 2024 after majority of the Kenyans rejected it.

Courtesy; KNA