A High Court in Mombasa on Thursday halted the government's decision to increase the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) by Ksh7.
George Odhiambo Juma had moved to court challenging the increasing arguing that no meaningful public participation had been conducted.
Consequently, the High Court suspended the increase pending the hearing and determination of the case.
“Pending the hearing of the Notice of Motion dated 2nd August 2024 interprets, a conservatory order is hereby issued, restraining the Respondents, either jointly and or severally, whether by themselves, their officers, agents, employees or other person or entity acting under the Respondents' instructions, from implementing and enforcing the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (Imposition) Order 2024,” read the ruling in part.
The ruling came after uproar from the public following the government's decision to increase the levy from Ksh18 to Ksh25. per litre
The government had argued that the increase, which was effected in July this year, was aimed at boosting the roads maintenance kitty.
On July 15, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) effected the increase marking a 39 per cent rise.
Before that, the government had not revised the road maintenance levy since 2016.
The government had lamented at the time that the delay in revising the RMLF had caused a Ksh727 billion road maintenance backlog.
Since the rise, however, the government eyed collecting Ksh115 billion separately and channeling it towards maintaining Roads.
Two days ago, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) hinted that the RMLF levy would not be enough to repair the roads and announced that talks to introduce tolls on roads were already in the works.
The authority listed Thika Superhighway, Nairobi Southern Bypass, and Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway among the roads that under consideration.
Others are Kenol-Sagana-Marua Road, Mombasa Southern Bypass, and Dongo Kundu Bypass.
