The Kenya High Commission in London
- Add new comment
- 282 views
The Kenya High Commission in London is embroiled in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) regarding unpaid congestion charges.
The City of London has demanded a hefty Sh541 million from Kenya, highlighting the persistent refusal of the High Commission and several other embassies to settle their dues. Implemented in 2003, the Congestion Charge is a daily fee of £15 levied on vehicles entering a designated zone within central London. The zone is operational from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays and from noon to 6:00 pm on weekends and bank holidays.
The Kenya High Commission stands accused of being a significant defaulter, ranking twelfth on the list of outstanding payments. Other African nations with substantial debts include Nigeria (Sh1.4 billion), Ghana (Sh842 million), and Sudan (Sh664 million). TfL maintains that the Congestion Charge is a service fee, not a tax, and therefore not exempt under diplomatic immunity. While most embassies comply with the regulation, a small but persistent group, including Kenya, continues to refuse payment despite diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
TfL is committed to pursuing all available avenues to ensure Kenya settles its outstanding balance. The situation is further complicated by the stance of the United States, the biggest defaulter with a debt of Sh2.5 billion. The US vehemently rejects payment, considering the charge a form of taxation. In contrast, some countries such as Togo (Sh6,000 debt), have consistently fulfilled their obligations. Several other nations, including Dominica, Finland, Norway, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Israel, have also agreed to pay the contested charge.
Within Africa, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Angola have joined Togo in promptly settling their fees. The potential consequences of non-payment are significant with TfL threatening legal action against Kenya at the International Court of Justice if the outstanding amount remains unpaid.
Comments
The UK asked for what?! They can take it from all they stole from Kenya.
I don't live in the UK and probably will never visit that country but it makes sense to charge a fee in order to discourage traffic in the downtown areas. NYC here in the States needs to do the same thing.
With love serve another british kenya we are brothers in arm asanteni pamoja ndugu
Pamoja
What is Kenya's justification for not paying? Is it hiding under Big brother's USA reasons for not paying?More importantly if service fee was implemented in 2003, I would chance to assume that at one point Kenya was paying.If so why did they stop? Is some unscrupulous government official misdirecting the payments into his or her personal account?Not that it would be a surprise given the corrupt status of our government officials,but to wonder why they carry their corrupt ways across international borders.Thus shaming the country.