Govt Increased Timber Transport Licence Takes Effect

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has announced that the increase in timber movement permit fees to Ksh2,320 for locally sourced forest produce and to Ksh25,570 for imported timber movement fees will be effective July 13, 2024. 

The new charges will consist of a consignment fee of Ksh20,000 with a 16 percent VAT of Ksh3,200, a movement permit fee of Ksh2,000 with a 16 percent VAT of Ksh320, and an e-Citizen Transaction Tax (e-Citizen TT) of Ksh50.

According to the memo dated July 10, 2024, and made public on Monday, July 29, all payments must be processed exclusively through the e-Citizen platform. 

"All payments are made only through the e-Citizen platform with the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMS) machine we have in the office," the memo read in part. 

KFS has also updated fees for other permits. The new regulations set the per-bag fee for charcoal movement permits at Ksh30, plus 15 percent VAT and e-Citizen fees per transaction at Ksh50. Non-transaction-wood forest products will be charged at Ksh2 per kilogram, with an additional 16 percent VAT and Ksh50 transaction fees.

All payments for these permits and products must be made through the e-Citizen platform using the eTIMS machine available in the office, according to the new regulations.

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18+ Students Without IDs Risk Losing Government Scholarship

The University Fund Kenya has revealed that students seeking to join university in September 2024 risk losing out on government scholarships if they do not have a National Identity Card.

A section of Kenyans stated that delays in the issuance of ID cards by the government made it impractically impossible for students to apply for scholarships. 

“Those who have applied for IDs and are still waiting for them to be processed will have to be patient, as they will require the IDs to apply for the scholarship,” the agency stated.

The University Fund clarified that young Kenyans who have not yet attained the age of 18 years can still apply for the scholarship using their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index number instead of a National ID. However, this option does not apply to students who are above 18 years old and have not yet received their national IDs.

Earlier on, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) announced that its application process has been revised to accommodate students without national IDs.

"Minors are being enabled to apply using their KCSE index number. Equally, Post Bank has provided a solution for banking services to minors to ensure inclusivity," HELB CEO Charles Ringera noted. 

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Posta Offices in 13 Branches Offering Space for Rent‍

The Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta) has announced it is offering 79,626 square feet of office space for lease across 13 branches to generate additional revenue. This includes offices in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kwale, Mombasa, Tana River, Lamu, and Machakos counties. The lease terms are for 63 months with an extension possibility. 

The Mokowe post office in Lamu has the largest available space at 35,000 square feet. Payments and transactions for the leases will be managed through the e-Citizen platform.

“The lease will be in effect for 63 months with the possibility of extension if both parties agree,” Posta said in their tender calls to firms and individuals seeking office space

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