Why Ndindi Nyoro is against tolling of Nairobi-Nakuru Highway

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has come out strongly against plans to toll the Nairobi-Nakuru highway once its expansion is complete.

Nyoro warned that the move could hurt Kenya's competitiveness, raise the cost of doing business, and deter regional and international investors.

Speaking during an economic forum hosted by the Institute of Public Finance at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi, Nyoro said tolling the highway — which forms part of the vital Mombasa-Malaba corridor — would increase logistical costs not just for Kenyans but also for neighbouring countries that depend on the route.

“That road must not be tolled,” Nyoro asserted. “The reason why other economies outperform ours is because when investors start comparing options, they often find better terms elsewhere. Tolling this critical corridor pushes them away.”

The Nairobi-Nakuru section of the Mombasa-Malaba highway is being expanded under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

Once complete, motorists will be expected to pay toll fees for up to 30 years, allowing the private contractor to recoup their investment.

But Nyoro, who once chaired the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee in the National Assembly, said the road should instead be funded through internally generated resources — arguing that the government already has capacity to finance such essential infrastructure.

“Tolling the road may look like a commercial venture, but it may come and hurt our economy,” he warned. “When you toll any part of the Mombasa-Malaba road, you are effectively increasing the cost of doing business for Kenya and our neighbours.”

The highway, which connects Nairobi to Nakuru and extends further west to Uganda and beyond, is undergoing major expansion to ease chronic congestion and boost regional trade.

The project focuses on the Rironi-Mau Summit section and is expected to be completed by June 2027 following a two-year construction period.

While acknowledging the importance of the expansion, Nyoro stressed that the people who rely on the road daily — from long-distance truck drivers to local traders — should not bear additional financial burdens.

“The expansion of the Nairobi-Nakuru road is long overdue. The people who use that road deserve a dual carriageway, but not at the cost of tolls that will cripple business,” he said.

The project has previously faced multiple delays, including the termination of earlier contracts, but is now back on track after Chinese contractors were cleared to conduct feasibility studies and procurement processes.