Kenyans could soon dig deep into their pockets in the event they damage property along the Nairobi Expressway, with charges going up to Ksh8 million.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, an official from Moja Expressway - the company charged with the responsibility of running and maintaining the flagship project - stated that the document containing the charges was being discussed and will be released to the public in due course.
However, part of the expressway road administration manual indicates that motorists will be charged for damages to the vehicle detectors and flower pots among others.
According to the document, damaging the cantilever variable information board will cost road users Ksh8,766,742, while damaging the microwave vehicle detector will cost one Ksh1,221,809.
Damages on lane cameras will cost Ksh167,506 and the plate detector Ksh249,994. Replacing a flower box will cost Ksh5,905 while the lawn below the elevated section costs Ksh645 per square meter.
"Road property polluted by gasoline, diesel, engine oil, or other types of oil; industrial wastewater, oil, alkali, and other chemical substances will cost Ksh6,939 per square meter," read the document in part.
The charges document surfaced after a stakeholders consultative meeting on the road administration.
Graffiti and taking pictures on the 27-kilometer road are banned.
"The purpose of the highway is to reduce traffic. If some people will be stopping so that they can take photos, that will create a snarl-up. The speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour. Stopping is not really practical," an official told Kenyans.co.ke at a past interview.
The charges from the damages on the road caused an uproar on social media as Kenyans voiced their concern over their exploitative nature.
"For those using regular road along Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway below Nairobi Expressway, maybe you should consider driving at 59Km/hr to avoid rolling into this road causing any damages. Nairobi Expressway is an accident-free zone," Shynne Kubunga tweeted.
Amid discussions on the hefty charges, the first accident along the expressway was recorded on Saturday, May 7, after a saloon car lost control ramming on the barriers and eventually overturning on the stretch of the road along Mombasa Road.
It was reported that the driver was speeding on the main road before hitting the expressway fence and overturning on the President Uhuru Kenyatta pet project.
