BY SAM ALFAN.
Traders at Mtito Andei and Mackinnon Road have been spared the agony of double taxation after a Mombasa judge has temporarily three counties from collecting taxes, pending the determination of a case filed by an activist.
Activist Okiya Omtatah moved to court to protect traders in Mackinnon Road Town and those in Mtito Andei Town from double taxation.
The two towns are being claimed by Kwale and Taita Taveta counties for Mackinnon Road Town, while Makueni and Taita Taveta counties feud over Mtito Andei Town.
Environment and Land Court Lucas Naikuni stopped the three county governments from levying taxes, pending the determination of the case.
Omtatah wants the court to appoint Taita Taveta county to be the sole authority of issuing business permits and levying county taxes in Mackinnon Road Town just as its predecessor did before the establishment of county governments in 2013.
He is seeking to.have the county government to deposit all the revenues it so collects into an interest earning bank account opened jointly with the Kwale County Government.
Pending the determination of the case, Omtatah wants the court to appoint the County Government of Taita Taveta as the sole authority issuing business permits and levying county taxes in Mtito Andei Town just as its predecessor did before the establishment of county governments in 2013.
The money, he says should also be deposited in an interest earning bank account opened jointly with the Makueni County Government.
Omtatah argues that the orders are necessary and urgently required to protect innocent traders from being compelled to pay taxes twice by two different counties, resulting to double taxation.
