Brace for toll fees from July, MPs tell motorists

What you need to know:

Motorists will pay toll fees from July after the National Treasury published draft regulations to guide the establishment of a fund.
Mr David Pkosing, the chairperson of the National Assembly committee on transport told the Business Daily Tuesday that Parliament, which resumed its session yesterday, would prioritise debate and passage of the proposed rules.
Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani has since invited Kenyans to give their views on the proposed regulations that will be tabled before Parliament for debate and approval next month.

Motorists will pay toll fees from July after the National Treasury published draft regulations to guide the establishment of a fund.

Mr David Pkosing, the chairperson of the National Assembly committee on transport told the Business Daily Tuesday that Parliament, which resumed its session yesterday, would prioritise debate and passage of the proposed rules.

Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani has since invited Kenyans to give their views on the proposed regulations that will be tabled before Parliament for debate and approval next month.

The tolling fund will be used to finance maintenance of highways and repayment of other roads built by private contractors.

“This is the procedure that I anticipated and I can say that the laws will be in place by June. We badly need them especially for the Nairobi Expressway from Mlolongo to James Gichuru,” Mr Pkosing said.

Besides Nairobi Expressway, other roads eyed for tolling include Nakuru highway, Mombasa Road, Thika Superhighway and Nairobi’s Southern Bypass.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) had last year recommended between Sh6-Sh30 per kilometre to use the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit road in varying fees based on the capacity of the vehicle. Motorists who do not wish to use the toll highways can still rely on other roads connecting the towns to the capital but will have to cope with heavy snarl-ups.