Nairobi — The Ministry of Roads and Transport will commence public participation for the draft national tolling policy from Monday,February 24, to seek stakeholders' views that will inform the final policy paper.
Roads Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, while speaking in Nairobi, called on the public and stakeholders to actively participate in the process to improve the policy and, in turn, enhance infrastructural funding.
"Every view, input, comment, suggestion, and recommendation will be considered to ensure equity and inclusivity in the final implementation process of the tolling policy," said Chirchir.
This follows the Kenya National Highway Authority's (KeNHA) public announcement on August 13, 2024, regarding its plans to introduce tolls on major roads after thorough public participation.
The proposal, however, received backlash from Kenyans on social media, who perceived it as an attempt by the government to push already struggling citizens deeper into the financial strain caused by the high cost of living.
The proposed tolling policy is ostensibly aimed at raising maintenance funds for the specific tolled highways that the Ministry will determine.
Speaking at a consultative forum on Thursday, Chirchir urged private investors to come on board with the yet-to-be-finalized policy to assist the government in bridging funding gaps, thereby ensuring continuous road development when public budgets are limited.
"Tolling under the Public-Private Partnership model creates a self-sustaining infrastructure system where revenue collected from users is used to repay capital costs, and cover operations and maintenance of the infrastructure," he said.
He further emphasized that this approach reduces government borrowing and minimizes the financial burden on taxpayers.
Reintroducing tolling
Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua backed Chirchir, saying the policy will not only focus on tolling but also encourage local investors to contribute their resources and engage in business.
He cited a vision of incorporating socio-economic facilities, such as cafeterias, along the tolled roads.
"We are not just looking at how a Kenyan drives through the road; it is also about how you can invest and gain as an investor," said Mbugua.
Tolling on roads initially began in Kenya in the 1980s to fund road maintenance but was abolished in 1994 with the introduction of the road maintenance levy on fuel.
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Subsequently, in 2016 and 2020, the government had similar plans, but they did not progress to implementation due to various reasons, including widespread public outcry.
Currently, KeNHA relies on the Road Maintenance Levy Fund under the Kenya Roads Board to generate revenue.
The proposal to reintroduce tolling policy aims to help the government ease the financial burden of maintaining existing roads while constructing new ones.
KeNHA has indicated that the two sources of revenue will be treated and utilized differently.
If the tolling policy is adopted after public participation, the revenue generated from road tolls will be allocated to maintain the same roads from which it is collected.
Additionally, the collected toll fees will contribute toward repaying funds used to construct major highways and road projects, leading to self-sustenance.
On the other hand, KeNHA proposes to use funds collected from the road maintenance levy to construct new roads.
