The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) on Tuesday announced that it would be introducing a road tolling policy on several highways in the country.
The authority revealed that talks were underway on introduce tolls on major roads including the Thika Super Highway, Nairobi Southern Bypass, Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, Nairobi Southern Bypass, and Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway.
The authority, however, assured that public participation will be carried out before any decisions were finalized.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority appreciates the ongoing discussion around the development of a Road Tolling Policy. The Authority assures the public that this Policy will be developed with extensive public participation to ensure that all voices are heard,” KeNHA shared on its social media pages.
“Once the Policy is finalised, it will guide which roads will be tolled. KeNHA remains committed to transparency and inclusivity throughout this process and will continue to engage with the public at every stage.”
Former Roads Cabinet SecretarKipchumba Murkomen had in February shared that road tolling was being considered to raise revenue for development of new roads as well as the maintenance of the highways.
At the time, the then CS, revealed that the state was prepared to spend Kshs 700 million on rolling out the project, which included the tolling of major highways as part of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) 2023-27 Strategic Plan already in effect.
The post by KeNHA has elicited public outrage as netizens argue that with the hike in road maintenance levy, the taxes collected should be sufficient to maintain roads across the country and road tolling could a plot to exploit Kenyans futher.
“The loan that built Thika road was already fully repayed, the road maintenance is done by tax payer money through the road maintenance levy which is collected at the fuel pump. What justifiable reason do they have for suggesting tolling??? For what exactly?” one X user named Mumbi Waithaka posed.
“Roads that do not, presumably, have any pending debt/bills. Thika road is more than 15 years old now,” another opined.
“The Express Way is being underused because of this punitive tolling culture. Open up the Express Way, more working hours, easy service and good delivery, more taxes than the fee collected from toll stations,” Sakwa Ongoma argued.
