City dwellers will dig deep into their pockets if the proposed Nairobi County Finance Bill 2023 takes effect this year.
In the bill, the County government seeks to amend various legislations relating to taxes, fees and charges for services, and other revenue-raising measures.
While the county government will reduce or increase certain fees paid by Nairobians, it will also introduce fees for other charges that are currently being offered for free.
Mortuary fees
Under its Environment and Public Health unit, the county government has notably proposed an increase in charges for the embalming of bodies at the City Mortuary.
City residents will pay Ksh.3,000 for adults, and Ksh.2,500 for children and infants. This is a rise from the KSh. 2, 500 and KSh. 2,000 that the city mortuary was charging to embalm bodies of adults and children respectively.
The bill also proposes an introduction of charges for conducting post-mortem examinations on bodies during weekdays. While the services are currently being offered for free, the county government will begin charging KSh.5,000 for adults, KSh.3,000 for children and KSh.1,500 for infants whose bodies will undergo post-mortem at the City Mortuary.
Families will continue to pay KSh. 8,000 for postmortem examinations on weekends, holidays or past working hours.
Other charges such as preservation, washing and dressing, viewing and searching have remained unchanged.
The County government will not make changes to the charges for permanent graves, temporary graves, special graves, exhumation, and grave construction charges at the Langata Cemetery.
However, cremation charges at the Langata Crematorium will be increased if the Finance Bill 2023 proposals are adopted. An adult body will be charged KSh. 20,000, up from KSh. 16,800 while those of children will be charged KSh.16,000, up from KSh. 15,800. The cremation of an infant’s body will be increased from KSh. 12,800 to KSh. 14,000.
Family Planning services
In its Finance Bill 2023, Nairobi County has proposed an introduction of charges for Family Planning services at its Level Four hospitals.
The services are currently being offered for free, but will soon cost KSh.500 to insert or remove an implant, KSh.350 to insert an IUCD and KSh.500 to remove it, a Depo-Provera injection will cost KSh.150, while Contraceptive Pills will be free of charge at Level Four hospitals within Nairobi.
Laboratory and Surgical Services
Nairobians will start paying for tests at laboratories in Level Four Hospitals if the new Finance Bill 2023 is approved by the County Assembly.
The tests that are currently being offered for free will be charged as the County seeks to increase its revenue.
Lab tests that will be charged include Malaria tests, Hemoglobin tests, Pregnancy tests, blood sugar tests, Urinalysis, stool, blood grouping, liver and kidney function tests among others.
In addition, city residents will begin to pay new charges for the application of plasters, male circumcision, stitching, wound dressing and other surgical procedures.
The tax and levies will be operational if approved and 14 days after publication in the Kenya Gazette.
