Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has warned traders in the city against relying on middlemen to obtain county business licences, urging them instead to apply directly through the county’s official digital platform as part of a wider push to clean up the licensing process.
Speaking at the Nairobi Business Breakfast Forum organised by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Governor said the practice of using intermediaries had exposed traders to fraud, including cases where business owners paid for licences through unofficial channels only to later discover the documents were fake or improperly issued.
“You do not need a middleman to obtain your county licence. Apply directly through our website, pay via Pay Nairobi and print your licence,” Sakaja told traders at the forum, pointing them to the county’s online portal as the only channel they should use.
The Governor said the county was working to make the process simpler and more transparent for ordinary business owners, many of whom have previously complained about long queues and opaque procedures at county offices that made using brokers seem like the faster option. Under the new push, traders will be able to apply for and download their licences entirely online, cutting out the need to visit county offices in person or engage anyone claiming to expedite the process for a fee.
Sakaja also announced plans to introduce a verifiable identification system for the county’s compliance and enforcement officers, to be rolled out within a month, which he said would help traders distinguish legitimate officials from impostors posing as county staff to extort money from business owners.
The announcement adds to a series of changes the county has made to its business licensing regime over recent months, as City Hall works to shore up revenue collection while easing the regulatory burden on small traders who make up the bulk of Nairobi’s informal and formal business community. Business lobby groups at the forum welcomed the renewed commitment to a fully digital system, saying predictability in licensing costs and procedures remains one of the biggest concerns for traders operating in the capital.