A Kenyan governor has been accused of grabbing a busy highway and turning it into a private road. Busia County Government has been accused of grabbing public roads and charging 20,000 for the erected unauthorised road signs outside the Governor’s office.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), on June 21, directed the Busia County Government to immediately remove the unauthorised road signage installed outside the Governor’s office, allegedly used to impose illegal fines on motorists and traders.
Erected along the Busia–Kisumu Highway, a key cross-border trade route between Kenya and Uganda, the road had become a point of contention following complaints from traders, freight operators, and residents.
Busia Senate Office raised the alarm in a letter dated May 14, 2025, accusing the county government of using the signs to collect fines of up to Ksh20,000 without legal justification.
KeNHA addresses the misuse of public roads
“The signs are non-compliant with the Traffic Act (Cap. 403), Section 69, and the official Manual on Traffic Signs and Road Markings,” the Senate noted in the letter addressed to the County Secretary.
“Despite their illegality, they are reportedly being used to impose fines of up to Ksh20,000, often without legal justification or due process,” they added.
Following the complaint, KeNHA conducted a site visit and confirmed that the signage had been installed without the required approvals, as stated in a response letter dated June 13, 2025.
“We visited the site and observed that the sign was installed on the frontage of the Governor’s office, presumptively to restrict its usage by vehicles or traders. We note that no approval has been issued to the County Government of Busia for the installation of the sign,” KeNHA Corridor Director Eng. C. Terigin stated.
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KeNHA has now issued a directive for the immediate removal of the signage and instructed the county to follow the due legal process before putting up any road signs in the future.
Busia Senate Office speaks on the same
Senator Okiya Omtatah, who has been vocal on the matter, confirmed the development in a statement he shared.
“Following our formal complaint, KeNHA has confirmed Busia County government erected unauthorised road signs outside the Governor’s office, used to impose illegal fines of up to Ksh20,000 and disrupt cross-border trade,” he said.
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“Public roads cannot be privatised or turned into toll points by rogue actors. We are guarding Kenya’s role as East Africa’s trade gateway and protecting the rights of motorists, traders, and citizens,” Omtatah added.
The Senate Office has warned that failure to remove the signage will result in escalation to relevant Senate committees and possible legal action to defend public interest.
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