Kenyan Motorists to Pay Over KSh 5k in Toll Charges on Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway
- Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway will cost motorists between KSh 12 and KSh 13 per kilometre as it will be tolled
- The road will be constructed by Usahihi Expressway Limited under a public-private partnership, with the support of US-based Everstrong Capital
- To recoup their investment, Everstrong and its partners will administer the toll road over a 30-year concession term
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto brings over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
The projected 440-kilometre Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway will cost motorists between KSh 12 and KSh 13 per kilometre, as it will be tolled.
Source: Twitter
This is less than the cost of the capital's shorter toll road, which charges an estimated KSh 18 for a comparable distance.
The road will be constructed by Usahihi Expressway Limited under a public-private partnership (PPP), with the support of US-based Everstrong Capital.
To recoup their investment, Everstrong and its partners will administer the toll road over a 30-year concession term.
How much will it cost motorists?
A driver travelling the entire 440-kilometre stretch to Mombasa will pay at least KSh 5,280, regardless of vehicle class.
In contrast, only saloon cars are subject to the base toll on the Nairobi Expressway. Larger vehicles, including light vehicles with two axles and a high bonnet, as well as heavy vehicles with fewer than four axles or more than four axles, are charged tolls at rates of 1.5, four, and five times the base amount, respectively.
Although the Nairobi Expressway does not charge per kilometre and the charges vary depending on the vehicle class and the entry and exit points, travelling in a saloon car for the 27-kilometre stretch from Mlolongo to Westlands attracts a KSh 500 charge, translating to approximately KSh 18.5 per kilometre.
Which company will construct the Nairobi-Mombasa expressway?
With the support of US-based Everstrong Capital, Usahihi Expressway Limited is developing the road under a PPP agreement for around $3.6 billion (KSh 464.9 billion).
Source: Getty Images
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) signed an agreement with Everstrong Capital LLC, a US-based private equity firm, to begin work on the project.
It is expected to rival the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway, which was funded and constructed by China.
According to Everstrong Capital LLC, the funds will come from pension schemes, development organisations, and foreign investors.
"The public-private partnership (PPP) initiative would be carried out for three to four years. Kenyan private investors will provide the majority of the funding," it stated, as reported by Business Daily
What are the road's features?
The Usahihi Expressway will include four to six lanes and will be constructed over three to four years.
It aims to reduce the current 10.5-hour travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa to approximately 4.5 hours.
It will include: rest areas, wildlife viewing spots, renewable energy-powered EV charging stations, and wildlife migratory overpasses.
Additionally, the project is expected to provide Kenyans with access to technical training through a TVET programme and generate a significant number of jobs.
Usahihi will become Kenya’s second toll road after the KSh 88 billion Nairobi Expressway, constructed under former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
