The Nyandarua County Government has increased ambulance charges for patients seeking referrals from its two main hospitals to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Nairobi.

Using county ambulances from JM Kariuki Memorial Referral Hospital to KNH will now cost Sh9,000 up from Sh5,000 and Sh9,000 up from Sh7,000 for Engineer Hospital, according to the County Finance Act 2023.

The devolved unit has also introduced new charges for patients using county ambulance for referrals from its main hospital JM to other hospitals outside the County.

JM to Kijabe Mission Hospital now costs Sh7,000, JM to Othaya in Nyeri County Sh9,000, JM to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret Sh10,000 and JM to Nakuru PGH will be Sh5,000.

Nyandarua government has also hiked cess charged on transportation of forest produce out of the county to discourage environmental degradation.

Transporters will pay between Sh7,000 and Sh20,000 per trip, depending on vehicle capacity, up from between Sh1,500 and Sh6,000.

Many Nairobi traders who ferry livestock from Laikipia through Nyandarua on livestock market days will no longer do it for free but pay cess on each animal.

The traders will henceforth pay Sh50 for each sheep or goat, Sh100 for donkey or pig and Sh150 for cow or camel that is transported through Nyandarua.

Ferrying horticultural produce for export will now be charged between Sh1,000 and Sh5,000 per trip depending on lorry tonnage. Previously it was free.

The 2023 Finance Act has introduced a levy for outside advertising. Displaying a banner on a road reserve for ten days will cost Sh3,000 and Sh4,000 for displaying adverts on private land and buildings.

Advertising for political events will cost Sh7,000 per month whether the advertisement is on road reserve, private land or building.

  Change of land use will now cost more. Changing land from agricultural to industrial will cost Sh50,000 up from Sh10,000, agricultural to residential will now cost Sh15,000 up from Sh6,500, agriculture to commercial has gone up from Sh7,500 to Sh25,000.

  The Finance Act has introduced charges on livestock animal breeding. Rabbits will cost Sh1,000 each while other animals will each cost between Sh15,000 and Sh120,000.