KeNHA is not backing down as it continues with plans to start charging toll fees on Thika Road and other major highways despite public uproar

Friday, August 16, 2024 – The plans to introduce toll charges on Thika Road and other major highways are in top gear.

This is despite public uproar from Kenyans who have objected to the move, saying the roads were built with taxpayers’ money and would be unfair for President William Ruto’s government to charge them again for using the roads.

However, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) argues that tolling will enable the authority to rehabilitate and maintain the specific roads where the tolls are collected.

The agency believes this strategy will allow the redirection of funds from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) towards constructing new road projects, thereby expanding the country's road network.

"In the event of successful tolling, the collected fees will then be used to maintain and rehabilitate the specific road that they are collected from," KeNHA stated. "This could free RMLF to fund new road projects."

The roads identified for potential tolling include the Nairobi Southern Bypass, Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, Thika Superhighway, Kenol-Sagana-Marua Road, Mombasa Southern Bypass, and the Dongo Kundu Bypass.

KeNHA emphasized that the revenue generated from these tolls would be allocated to maintaining the same roads, ensuring that the toll fees directly benefit the motorists who pay them.

“This will free money collected from road levies for the construction of new roads, expanding our network and improving connectivity across the country. 

"Through this approach, KeNHA is committed to creating a safer, more efficient road system for all Kenyans,” the authority explained.

The Kenyan DAILY POST