The government has increased the charges for using the Nairobi Expressway from the current range of KES 100 to KES 310 to a new range of KES 170 to KES 500 across all the stations along the Mlolongo-Westlands route.
Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the new charges in a gazette notice dated December 31, 2023, saying the new rates take effect immediately. He attributes the increase to the global dollar variation rates, adding that the adjustment was done based on the project agreement following the gazettement of the toll rates in April 2022.
In the new toll fees, charges for Class 3 vehicles (saloons) categorized as light vehicles with two axles are as follows for the following routes:
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Westlands to Mlolongo and Syokimau- KES500
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Westlands to JKIA and Easter Bypass -KES410
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Westlands to Southern Bypass-KES330
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Westlands to Haile Selassie and Capital Centre -KES250
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Westlands to Museum Hill -KES170
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Light vehicles with two axles and high bonnets (Class 4) will pay 1.5 times more.
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Heavy vehicles with fewer than four axles (Class 5) will pay four times more.
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Heavy vehicles with four or more axles (Class 6) will pay five times.
This move has, however, come under intense criticism, with Third Way Alliance Party Leader Ekuru Aukot raising concern. He stated that the Kenyan shilling had only depreciated by 21 percent against the US dollar, yet the new charges for the Nairobi Expressway had been increased by 50 percent.
“To justify the 50% increase in Expressway charges, CS @kipmurkomen is quoting the depreciation of the KES to the dollar. We all know KES depreciated by 21% last year, and this is an increase of 50%. That is the CS’ 2024 gift to Kenyans!” Aukot wrote on his X account.
Another critic and member of parliament for Alego Usonga, Sam Atandi, sought justification for the increased rates. Murkomen, however, shielded himself and the Kenya Kwanza government from the increase and said they only followed the agreement signed by the previous administration.
“The adjustment was done based on the project agreement, taking into account the depreciation of the Kenya Shilling to the United States dollar since the time of the gazettement of the toll rates in April 2022.
“The formula for computing the new rates is already embedded in the agreement, taking into account the loan facility provided by the investor, which was borrowed using USD (as a banker, you will understand more),” the statement continued.
