Senators, led by Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei, have rejected plans to toll the Rironi-Mau Summit Expressway, warning that the move would unfairly burden ordinary Kenyans.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

While speaking on the floor of the Senate on August 5, Cherargei stated that motorists already pay enough through the Road Maintenance Levy (RML), placed at Ksh25 per litre, arguing that adding a toll on top of that amounts to double taxation.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has approved a split toll structure averaging Ksh8 to Ksh8.50 per kilometre for passenger cars and small 4WD vehicles plying the upcoming Rironi-Mau Summit Expressway.

Cherargei pointed out that the highway serves a huge population from Western Kenya and Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Bomet and the wider Rift Valley region, many of whom rely on it daily for work and trade.

📌 What You Need to Know

The senator questioned why the government would single out that particular road for tolling while leaving other major highways, such as the Thika Superhighway and the Mau Mau Roads, untouched.

“ Why are we tolling that road, and we are not tolling Thika Superhighway and the Mau Mau roads? We will resist, Mr Speaker, and reject it. We say no to any intention to toll,” Senator Cherargei stated.

Adding, “Mr Speaker, since we pay the fuel levy through the Road Maintenance Levy Fund, that should be enough. Therefore, we are totally against tolling because it would subject us to double taxation.”

According to him, such selective tolling creates an unfair system in which some regions bear additional costs simply because of where they live.

He insisted that Kenyans should be treated equally regardless of which part of the country they come from, saying no community should feel like a second-class citizen.

Cherargei noted that some motorists from Bomet County could simply avoid the toll altogether by using the Ngong-Suswa route through to Narok instead, whereas in Nandi County, this is not the case.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke