CS Murkomen Explains Why Gov’t Increased Nairobi Expressway Toll Rates
Kipchumba Murkomen, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, has provided clarification regarding the factors contributing to the rise in toll fees for utilizing the Nairobi Expressway.
CS Murkomen, replying to Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi on X, expressed that the rise correlates with the devaluation of the Kenyan shilling against the US dollar.
As per the Civil Service (CS), the modification is included within the Project Agreement formed in 2021, and the toll charges were officially published in April 2022. Consequently, both his ministry and the government are obligated to comply with these terms.
“If you take the maximum increase which is from 360 to 500 you will get a difference of 140 Shillings. if you divide Kshs 140 by Kshs 360 and multiply by 100 you will get 38.89%. Now the last adjustment was done when one dollar was equal to Kshs 113.14. Now the dollar is Ksh 157 and using the same method i.e. 157 minus 113 which is equal to 44. Divide 44 by 113 and multiply by 100 and you will get 38.9 %. So the increase is proportional,” he wrote.
“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 gazettement of the Toll Rates in April 2022. The formulae for computing the new rates are already embedded in the agreement taking into account the loan facility by the investor which was borrowed using USD.”
He added: “The good thing about the expressway is first that the government of Kenya did not give a traffic volume guarantee otherwise the taxpayer would now be paying a lot from the interest accrued and inflation plus the difference unmet by less traffic flow. Second, the consumer has an alternative route which is not tolled.”
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CS Murkomen previously stated that the government had raised the fees for utilizing the Nairobi Expressway. The charges have been elevated from the existing rates of Ksh.100 to Ksh.310 to a revised scale of Ksh.170 to Ksh.500 at all stations along the Mlolongo-Westlands route.
The Chief Secretary released the updated fees through an official notice published in the Gazette on December 31, 2023, indicating that the new rates are effective immediately.
Under the updated fees, drivers accessing the Expressway at Mlolongo and leaving at the SGR station or the Eastern Bypass will now need to pay Ksh.250 instead of the existing Ksh.100. Likewise, those exiting at the Southern Bypass will see an increase to Ksh.330 from the previous rate of Ksh.210.
Vehicles leaving from Capital Hill and Haile Selassie stations along the identical route will now be charged Ksh.410, an increase from the previous fare of Ksh.210.
Departures from Museum Hill, The Mall, and the Nairobi Westlands terminal will now incur a fee increase from Ksh.310 to Ksh.500.
The identical fees will also apply to drivers traveling in the opposite direction from the Nairobi Westlands entrance point to the Mlolongo exit point.
The reduced distances between Syokimau and the SGR station, as well as between the SGR and JKIA stations leading to the Eastern Bypass, will now incur a fee of Ksh.170, increased from the previous Ksh.100 for motorists.
CS Murkomen Explains Why Gov’t Increased Nairobi Expressway Toll Rates