Nairobi paves the way with digital Unified Business Permits
Traders operating in Nairobi County are poised to start receiving the electronic Unified Business Permit (UBP) as part of an initiative to streamline business processes. According to the Capital City County, the UBP consolidates business, fire, food, health, and advertising licenses into a single permit.
It will be accessible through the Nairobi City County Government’s NairobiPay Revenue Service online portal.
The implementation of the UBP regime eliminates the need for multiple licenses, fulfilling one of Governor Sakaja Johnson’s election promises. The new system has undergone development and pilot stages in recent months.
“This electronic solution eliminates the issuance of multiple business permits at various service points, addressing a significant revenue leakage risk,” Sakaja stated.
Sakaja highlighted that the activation of the UBP system, effective January 1, 2024, will improve public service delivery by enabling Nairobi entrepreneurs to conveniently pay for their licenses online and receive an electronic unified business permit. He further mentioned that the UBP regime is anticipated to enhance the performance of Nairobi City County Government’s Own Source Revenues (OSR), aiming to achieve a collection of Kshs 20 billion by sealing revenue leakage points.
“With the UBP issuance activated on the NairobiPay Portal, the county government is now progressing towards reaching its target of Ksh20 billion in Own Source Revenues to support development projects in the city,” Governor Sakaja stated.
In addition to the new UBP, the Governor has extended the land rates waiver until January 31, 2024. Customers can pay for their land rates using the NairobiPay Portal or by dialing *647#.
