The Motorist Association of Kenya has objected to the proposed toll fees for the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.
In a statement dated Tuesday, May 6, the association opined that the proposed charges were not viable given the cost effect on the road users.
The association made the remarks after Everstrong Capital partner Kyle McCarter revealed that the road users would be charged between Ksh12 and Ksh13 to use the road.
"The broad-based imposition of PPP toll fees on road users along Rironi Nakuru and Mombasa-Nairobi Highways is utterly deceptive and evil," read the statement in part.
"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."
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Based on the proposed charges, motorists will pay up to Ksh5,000 to use the road should the developer fail to put a cap on the toll fees.
According to the American firm tasked with the project, toll fees for the road would be cheaper than those of the Nairobi Expressway.
"The toll charges will be in the neighbourhood of Ksh12 to Ksh13 a kilometre. As you know, right now, the current expressway is Ksh18; it started at Ksh13, now it's Ksh18. We're going to be below what the current expressway is charging," McCarter stated.
"We're optimising that toll rate to lower the charge as much as we can by lowering the cost of construction and lowering the cost of capital. The more we save, the lower the toll rate goes down."
Construction of the road is set to begin in 2026.
Under PPP projects, developers are tasked with charging Kenyans for using the infrastructure to recoup the money they used for the development of the road.
