The Motorists Association of Kenya has opposed a move by the United States infrastructure investment company, Everstrong Capital, to toll the Nairobi-Mombasa expressway.
The Association, in a statement on Tuesday morning, challenged the planned tolling of the new highway, terming the move as utterly deceptive and evil.
While protesting the decision, the lobby group expressed concern over the financial burden of the toll fees, particularly for motorists who primarily rely on the Nairobi-Mombasa route for transport purposes.
According to the motorists, handing over a public highway to foreign entities and allowing them to impose user fees on the citizens of a sovereign nation was an 'immoral act'.
"The broad-based imposition of Public Private Partnership (PPP) toll fees on road users along Rironi-Nakuru and Mombasa-Nairobi Highways is utterly deceptive and evil," the aggrieved motorists argued.
The Association went on to add, "Handing over our public highway to foreign entities, allowing them to impose user fees on the citizens of a sovereign nation, is an immoral act."
The backlash comes hours after Everstrong Capital, through its Senior Advisor, Kyle McCarter, said motorists plying along the Nairobi-Mombasa expressway would be required to pay between Ksh12 and Ksh13 per kilometre.
This means that a motorist using the new expressway will be forced to pay at least Ksh5,280 for the 440-kilometre stretch while enjoying features like wildlife corridors, electric vehicle charging and renewable energy infrastructure.
Speaking during the submission of the feasibility study report to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials on Monday, May 5, the former US Ambassador to Kenya noted that the construction of the highway would kick off in early 2026.
"The tolls would be collected in shillings. We will have direct accounts with logistics companies that will be able to pay in dollars," McCarter reiterated.
"With private financing of over $3.6 billion in motion and financial close targeted soon, construction is set to begin in early 2026. Once completed, the expressway will reduce travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa from 10.5 to 4.5 hours," he added.
Meanwhile, the expressway will be engineered to also accommodate the safe passage of trucks, buses, and automobiles, featuring rest stops and strategically located overpasses designed by environmental experts.
