Thirty eight senators voted to approve the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2020, which also provides for the sharing of revenue raised nationally between the two levels of government. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Wajir Senator Abdullahi Ali, the mover of the petition wants the house to compel governors and the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Housing and Physical Planning to develop regulations that will ensure individuals do not pay for parking or pay ‘affordable fees.’
Currently, majority of public and private hospitals charge patients parking fees.
The fee is calculated per hour with customers forking out at least Sh100 to access services at hospitals in Nairobi.
Public and private hospitals will be compelled to provide free parking to their customers if a proposal sails through Parliament.
The petition to be tabled before the Senate this afternoon seeks to bar all hospitals from charging entry and parking fees on individuals seeking treatment.
Wajir Senator Abdullahi Ali, the mover of the petition wants the house to compel governors and the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Housing and Physical Planning to develop regulations that will ensure individuals do not pay for parking or pay ‘affordable fees.’
Currently, majority of public and private hospitals charge patients parking fees. The fee is calculated per hour with customers forking out at least Sh100 to access services at hospitals in Nairobi.
“Charging entry fees amounts to double taxation as the motorists who would have paid the parking fees will still pay for the services they seek,” Mr Ali says in the notice of motion.
“Access to hospitals, educational institutions and other places offering essential services might be hindered due to exorbitant parking fees levied on motorists.”
The proposal might, however hit revenue streams for private hospitals and counties that have for years relied on the charges to shore up their income.
The bid to scrap parking fees at the health facilities comes a year after the Nairobi County Assembly started similar plans at all its public and private facilities.
The proposal is yet to be effected leaving patients at the mercy of hospitals that charge the fees based on hours.
If Senate approves the proposal, banks and all other facilities that provide public services will also be compelled to provide free parking, a move that the lawmaker says will reduce the costs on Kenyans.
Kenya will join nations like Scotland that scrapped parking fees at all public hospitals in 2008 as part of easing the cost of treatment.
The Scottish legislators, however exempted private facilities from the directive car parks were built under long-term private finance initiative (PFI) projects.
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