NAKURU, Kenya, Feb 27 – Scrap metal dealers in Nakuru have petitioned the county government to consider reducing the licensing fees which stands at more than Sh100,000.United Scrap Metal Dealers Association chairperson, Joseph Wandaka said the County government license fees plus other charges by come to a total of more than Sh250,000 for major dealers, exporters and millers.Agents pay a Sh150,000 for annual license while Jua Kali collectors pay Sh50,000 for the same.He said the high license fees paid to county government, the dealers had to get operating authorisation from National Environment Management Authority (Nema) and Scrap Metal Council of Kenya.He was speaking in Nakuru during a stakeholders meeting attended by national security organs and representatives Kenya Power and Lighting Company and other authorities managing critical infrastructure in the country.Wandaka said Nakuru was charging the highest licensing fees at Sh110,000 annually followed by Nyandarua at Sh22,000 Kericho at Sh15,000 and Laikipia which is charging Sh8,000.He appealed to county governments to harmonise and streamline the licenses instead of one devolved unit more than ten times the amount charged by another.“A dealer operating in Nakuru is paying more than ten folds the amount of their colleague operating in Laikipia yet is one country, one business and similar returns,” he said.Wandaka also asked the government to reduce the licenses to accommodate all scrap metal operators to reduce illegal dealers and vandalism.“Operators have extensively discussed the issue of licensing, and they want the fees reduced to between Sh10,000 to Sh15,000 to widen the revenue base, accommodate more people and reduce illegal dealers,” he said.He added that the operators agreed to self-regulate and ensure members did not deal in materials from vandalised critical infrastructure such as KPLC installations.He observed other major victims of vandalisation include Kenya Railways Corporation and Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA).“Those people vandalising government instalments are not members of United Scrap Metal Dealers Association but criminals, they are people without licenses,” he saidWandaka revealed that members in Nakuru has assisted police in apprehending three vandals who were trying to sell scrap metal gotten from vandalised government infrastructure.“Two of the vandals arrested were selling pieces of street lighting poles while the third one had stolen metal from KPLC,” he said.He said licensed members were doing legal business and none of them had been found to be dealing with stolen government property.