This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
A Nairobi County MCA is pushing to end the practice of private hospitals charging visitors parking fees. Nominated MCA Anne Thumbi has tabled a motion to be debated by the assembly this week, calling for the scrapping of the levies.
According to the motion, the influx of private hospitals with parking slots that charge patients and visitors has led to unfair extra costs for those seeking medical care. Thumbi cited Article 186 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya, which grants powers to the County Government to govern parking.
Thumbi decried the lack of regulations on private parking as the major cause of the soaring parking charges. She emphasized that if it was impossible to scrap the private parking fees, the county should formulate policies to ensure that all proceeds from the parking slots are paid to the county, to be prudently used in maintaining health facilities.
“It is very unfair for a patient or the family of the patient to incur extra parking charges yet they have medical bills to cater for. Parking should be free in all hospitals,” Thumbi said.
Thumbi's motion urges the County Executive to develop a policy to regulate parking charges by private hospitals in the county to avert exploitation by owners of premises through high parking fees when patients and the general public visit such premises for services.
