Motorists Association of Kenya have opposed plans by the Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to introduce road tolls as a way of collecting more revenue.
Speaking to the press, the chairman of the association Peter Murima, lamented that the introducing the tolls will result into double taxation and increase crime on the roads.
The association stated that they wanted an assurance from the CS that the move would be abolished completely, giving a 21-day ultimatum to get a response.
“We have resolved that we are not going to allow our roads to be turned into private roads. You cannot use already existing routes and turn them into private land routes. That will be unconstitutional.
“The way thing are going in this country will take driving to another level. Driving will either become a crime, or a very expensive affair,” he stated.
Also Read: Murkomen Makes U-Turn on Highway Charges After Uproar
Murkomen Update on Highway Toll Charges
Earlier on February 2, Murkomen issued a clarification on the matter stating that the levies will only be imposed on the roads that are were to be constructed.
“I didn’t say that we would toll existing. New tolling schemes will consider affordability, equity and the potential impact on different segments of our society,
“Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF)- Ksh68 billion this year-are insufficient to maintain roads in the country,” Murkomen said.
According to the CS, some of the RMLF collections were allocated to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), was not enough to maintain trunk roads which had developed potholes.
Also Read: Murkomen Explains Why Kenyans Will Pay to Use Highways
At the same time, the CS said the situation resulted in a large network of orphaned roads.
Introduction of Tolls on Highways
While speaking during the launch of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) 2023 to 2027 strategic plan, on January 26, the CS announced that because the current funding models for road maintenance was not sufficient, the government would toll major highways.
According to the CS, the government already had a tolling benchmark from the expressway, and it would therefore be easy to implement the move.
“The Public-Private Partnership model remains our key strategy in delivering cutting-edge infrastructural projects. We must find ways of tolling our main highways and transfer the benefits to Kenyans,” stated Murkomen.
