Kenyans may soon start paying toll fees in order to use Thika Superhighway and Jogoo Road. This follows the decision by parliament to move ahead and pass a law that will introduce user fees on major roads, bridges and tunnels.
The roads that will be targeted for toll charges include the Nairobi-Nakuru, Nairobi-Mombasa, Nairobi-Thika and Nairobi’s Southern Bypass, Jogoo Road, Lang’ata Road and Ngong Road.
Last week, the Committee on Delegated Legislation approved the Public Finance Management (National Road Toll Fund) Regulations 2021. The Committee also asked all MPs to pass the proposed law. The Public Finance Management (National Road Toll Fund) Regulations 2021 seeks to establish the National Roads Toll Fund.
According to a report that appeared in the Business Daily on Monday, the regulations will be seeking to implement the Public Roads Toll Act, Cap 407, which guides the imposition of toll fees on major national roads through the establishment of the National Roads Toll Fund.
“The law empowers the Transport Cabinet Secretary to declare any road or a portion, including a bridge or tunnel on a public road, as a toll road,” the report said.
Kenyans to pay toll fees to use all major roads, highways
According to the National Treasury, the decision on whether and how to toll a road will be independent of decisions on how to finance, build, operate and maintain that road.
“This means that both new (green-field) and existing roads (brownfields) can be subject to tolling programmes, always providing that these are demonstrated to be both economically and financially feasible and their social and environmental impacts are shown to be sustainable,” the National Treasury said.
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