Mombasa: Small-scale traders in Mombasa have expressed skepticism over the proposed 2025/2026 national budget, citing concerns about the lack of direct impact from previous fiscal plans on their day-to-day operations.

According to Kenya News Agency, the budget, presented by Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi on June 12, allocated Sh47.6 billion to the agriculture sector to boost food production, lower the cost of living, and support small-scale enterprises through subsidies and tax stability.

Key highlights of the proposed budget include the provision of subsidised fertiliser to 1.5 million farmers, expansion of irrigation schemes in regions such as Mwea, Bura, and Lower Nzoia, and renewed investments in the dairy, tea, coffee, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors.

Despite these interventions, vendors operating at Mombasa’s McKinnon Market, commonly referred to as Marikiti, have expressed their concerns over the practical impact of such allocations on their businesses. M
any say they have yet to feel the benefits of similar commitments made in previous years.

Samuel Kithuku, a cereals and spices trader at the market, said the budget’s promises rarely materialize at the grassroots level. ‘No matter how much the government says it aims to uplift the hustlers, I haven’t felt any relief,’ said Kithuku, adding: ‘We still face high import taxes, yet customers expect low prices. That affects how much stock I can replenish.’

Another trader, Anderson Karungi, expressed concern over the projected cost of living, warning that the proposals may not address the financial pressure facing households. ‘Citizens will suffer for the next five years if the proposed budget is passed,’ said Karungi. ‘Most parents won’t afford to educate their children. The roads being built won’t help us if fuel prices remain high,’ he added.

While the budget maintains the turnover tax for small traders at 1.5 per cent, a move intended to ease the tax burden for microenterprises, many traders feel this measure
alone is insufficient to improve their economic stability.

The government’s plan appears focused on long-term agricultural and economic reform. However, traders at the grassroots are calling for immediate interventions, such as reduced taxation, lower fuel prices, and accessible credit, which directly address the cost of doing business. ‘It’s not about how much money is allocated. It’s about whether it ever reaches us,’ said Maryam Khamis, a vendor.