Orengo's tax proposals to raise cost of healthcare

Siaya Governor James Orengo (second left) inspects the construction of a funeral parlour at Bondo sub-county hospital. [File, Standard].

Residents of Siaya are staring at tougher times ahead following proposals by Governor James Orengo's administration to increase charges for various services.

In the proposals, street parking fees, hospital charges and agricultural services are among a raft of new levies proposed by the devolved unit.

The new revenue raising measures are aimed at raising Sh634.8 million in own-source revenue for the county government.

The measures, which include the doubling of some charges, are contained in the Siaya County Finance Bill, 2025.

The bill has proposed an increment of daily bed charges in public hospitals by Sh150 from Sh350. It proposes to increase the daily bed charges in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from Sh1,000 to Sh3,500.

For one to be admitted to the ICU from within the Siaya County Referral Hospital, one will part with Sh30,000. Charges for referrals from outside have been increased to Sh35,000 from Sh30,000.

The county is also proposing to increase ambulance service charges from Sh3,500 to Sh4,000 for hospital-generated referrals and from Sh5,000 to Sh7,500 within bordering counties on its own request.

Male circumcision, which has been free, will attract Sh1,000 in all the public health facilities.

For coroner services at the county's mortuaries, preservation charges of Sh500 daily are proposed for all bodies from the wards while those from outside will be Sh700.

Embalming will be Sh3,400 per body from the wards and Sh4,600 from outside. Bodies retrieved from water will be charged Sh5,000 while postmortem examination, which now costs Sh10,000, will increase to Sh15,000.

As part of the new charges, traders planning to rent office space in the new Siaya County Stadium will be required to pay a monthly fee of Sh50,000 while those seeking to rent spaces to establish a restaurant will pay Sh100,000.