UK Threatens Kenya High Commission To ICJ Over Ksh541M Congestion Charge Debt
On Tuesday, the City of London slapped Kenya with a Ksh541 million congestion charge, citing the Kenya High Commission and a few other embassies as a stubborn minority refusing to pay.
The fee was introduced in 2003 and is a £15 daily charge if you drive within the Congestion Charge zone from 7:00-18:00 Monday through Friday and 12:00-18:00 Saturday, Sunday, and bank holidays.
Notably, the Kenya High Commission was among the highest defaulters, ranking 12th.
Other African embassies with high default rates include the High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Ksh1.4 billion), the High Commission of the Republic of Ghana (Ksh842 million), and the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Ksh664 million).
“We and the UK Government are clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it,” Transport for London (TfL) stated.
“The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels.”
TfL stated that it would continue to use all means to ensure Kenya paid the bill.
Should Kenya and other embassies fail to pay the congestion charges, TfL has threatened to sue them in the International Court of Justice.
The United States, the largest defaulter at Ksh2.5 billion, was adamant that it would not pay, citing the charge as tax.
While Kenya, the United States, India, Japan, and other countries continue to contest the charges, TfL noted that some countries’ foreign missions made timely payments.
For example, the Republic of Togo Embassy owed only Ksh6,000 towards the same.
Other countries that have agreed to pay the charge include Dominica, Finland, Norway, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Israel.
In Africa, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Angola have joined Togo as countries that have made timely payments towards the contested charge.
UK Threatens Kenya High Commission To ICJ Over Ksh541M Congestion Charge Debt
