Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified the government’s plan to toll major highways.
Through an opinion piece posted on the local dailies, Murkomen noted that the ministry planned to build new highways accompanied by tolling stations.
His statement was contrary to reports which alleged that the stations would be built on already existing roads.
“I did not say we would toll existing roads–we would build new ones and then set up tolling stations on them for investors to recoup their money,” he noted.
Further explaining the plan, the CS revealed that his Ministry was open to allowing Kenyans and local financial institutions to invest in the new road projects.
“To support the local economy, dualling and tolling of roads will be open to pension funds, local financial institutions and ordinary citizens through the stock exchange," Murkomen stated in the op-ed published in the Daily Nation.
Defending the plan, Murkomen stated that introducing the toll charges on highways would boost the country’s revenue and help fund projects outlined by the Ministry.
“Revenue from tolls can supplement government budgets and enable agencies to invest more in infrastructure without relying only on budgetary allocations,” he added.
Murkomen further explained the rationale behind the fund allocations for various road projects, citing the road project’s portfolio inherited from the previous regime, which amounted to Ksh900 billion.
Responding to the tough economic times experienced in the country in recent times, he noted that the ministry had to freeze new projects, focusing on finishing commissioned ones.
“These projects cut the project costs to Ksh750 billion, which social media satire seems to think I’m obsessed with,” he explained.
Murkomen had on January 26, proposed the introduction of toll stations on several roads including the Athi River-Namanga Road and Galleria-Rongai-Ngong-Karen Shopping Centre to raise funds for rehabilitation of roads countrywide.
The Project also included the Museum Hill-Moyale, Sirare-Lowdar, Mombasa to Malaba and Kiambu roads.
