Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified reports that the government is planning to toll major highways and revealed a plan to build new roads with toll stations.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government is planning to build new roads with toll stations to ensure that kenyans who use the roads will pay like the Expressway
“I did not say we would toll existing roads–we would build new ones and then set up tolling stations on them for investors to recoup their money.”
This comes after reports surfaced last week indicating that the government is working on installing toll stations on major highways across the country, a statement he has refuted claiming toll stations will be installed in new roads that will be built by the Ministry.
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Murkomen stated that the Ministry was open to allowing Kenyans and local financial institutions to invest in the new road projects and will get back their money through the toll stations that will collect funds to repay them.
“To support the local economy, dualling and tolling of roads will be open to pension funds, local financial institutions and ordinary citizens through the stock exchange. Revenue from tolls can supplement government budgets and enable agencies to invest more in infrastructure without relying only on budgetary allocations.”
Among the roads that had been earlier on proposed by Murkomen for toll station installation include: Athi River-Namanga Road and Galleria-Rongai-Ngong-Karen Shopping Centre Museum Hill-Moyale, Sirare-Lowdar, Mombasa to Malaba and Kiambu roads.
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This according to the Cabinet Secretary was meant to raise funds for rehabilitation of roads countrywide and help the government raise revenue for road projects in the country.