Motorists have launched an online petition to challenge the government’s plan to expand and toll the Nairobi-Nakuru highway under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The petition, unveiled on Thursday, August 21, provides a platform for Kenyans to register their objections by submitting their details and input through a dedicated website.
The move comes after President William Ruto’s administration announced plans to construct and later toll the busy highway, a proposal that has drawn sharp criticism from road users. The Motorists Association, which spearheaded the petition, argues that the PPP approach shifts the burden of infrastructure financing onto ordinary citizens, a responsibility they insist belongs to the government.
According to the petitioners, introducing tolls on major highways amounts to double taxation. They point out that drivers already contribute to road upkeep through the Road Maintenance Levy Fund, which was increased to Ksh18 per litre of fuel within a span of two years. “Toll roads were replaced by the Road Maintenance Levy Fund. Paying tolls to PPP schemes would therefore be double taxation,” the motorists said in a statement.
Concerns have also been raised over a directive by Parliament requiring the National Treasury, the Ministry of Transport, and the Attorney General to table a bill that will provide a legal framework for tolling major national roads and establishing a toll fund. The motorists argue that such a move risks locking Kenyans into a cycle of heavy road-use charges that could stifle economic activity.
The Association further cited the planned Nairobi-Mombasa expressway, also slated to be constructed under a PPP model, as an example of the high costs motorists could face. Reports suggest that toll fees on the expressway could reach up to Ksh5,000, a figure they described as unaffordable and punitive.
With the Nairobi-Nakuru highway serving as a vital economic corridor linking Nairobi to western Kenya and beyond, motorists warn that tolling it will disproportionately hurt small-scale traders, transport operators, and commuters who rely on the road daily.
The petition marks the latest pushback against the government’s PPP-driven infrastructure strategy, with road users demanding more transparency and affordable alternatives to finance critical projects.
