Nairobi — Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has attributed the increase in the Nairobi Expressway toll fee to the Project agreement by the Chinese government taking into account the depreciation of the Kenya Shilling.
Murkomen explained that since the time of gazettement of the Toll Rates in April 2022, no review has been conducted yet the country's currency has received a beating following the global inflation.
"The formulae for computing the new rates is already embedded in the agreement taking into account the loan facility by the investor which was borrowed using USD ( as a banker you will understand more),"he said.
The Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary denied reports that the Nairobi Express Way toll fee has been increased with 50 percent.
Murkomen explained that it was a 38.9 percent increase which was proportionate to the increase of the dollar exchange rate against the shilling.
"First the increase is not 50%. If you take the maximum increase which is from 360 to 500 you will get a difference of 140 Shillings. if you divide Kshs 140 by Kshs 360 and multiply by 100 you will get 38.89%," he stated.
"Now the last adjustment was done when one dollar was equal to Kshs 113.14. Now the dollar is Ksh 157 and using the same method I.e 157 minus 113 which is equal to 44. Divide 44 by 113 and multiply by 100 and you will get 38.9 %. So the increase is proportional."
Murkomen stated that the Kenya Kwanza Alliance is tied to the contractual established in 2021 saying the situation would have been worse had the government signed into traffic volume guarantee.
"The good thing about express way is first that the government of Kenya did not give traffic volume guarantee otherwise the taxpayer would now be paying a lot from the interest accrued and inflation plus the difference unmet by less traffic flow," he noted.
The government released new toll charges for the Nairobi Expressway, sparking uproar among users in times of tough economic times.
The new toll charges are contained in a notice Gazette Notice dated December 19, 2023, and signed by Cabinet Secretary Murkomen.
Here is a breakdown of the toll charges for different sections of the Nairobi Expressway:
Mlolongo to Westlands: Ksh500
Syokimau to Westlands: Ksh500
SGR to Westlands: Ksh410
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JKIA to Westlands: Ksh410
Eastern Bypass to Westlands: Ksh410
Southern Bypass to Westlands: Ksh330
Capital Center to Westlands: Ksh250
Haile Selassie to Westlands: Ksh250
The new charges apply to various sections of the expressway, aiming to streamline the toll collection process and support infrastructure development and maintenance.
The government said the new toll charges and meant to help finance the ongoing maintenance and operational costs of the infrastructure.
"It is not fair at all because things are tough they can't just increase the toll charges at such a time," said Michael Omollo who said he uses the Expressway daily.
For fellow motorist Kevin Karanja, "it is double jeopardy because full prices are up and we now have to pay more for toll charges. Welcome to 2024."
Launched by then President Uhuru Kenyatta in mid-October 2019, the Nairobi Expressway stands as a monumental achievement in Kenya's infrastructure development.
Spanning a total of 27 kilometers, this state-of-the-art expressway features a four-lane dual carriageway situated along the median strips of some of Nairobi's busiest roadways, including Mombasa Road (starting at Mlolongo), Uhuru Highway, and Waiyaki Way (culminating at James Gichuru Road).
The ambitious project cost of Sh97 billion.
