Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has launched a fierce attack on the government’s plan to introduce toll charges on the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway, warning that the move unfairly burdens citizens and signals a troubling shift in public financing.

The Sh170 billion project, commissioned by President William Ruto, will charge motorists Sh8 per kilometre once completed—an amount that will rise by 1 per cent annually over a 30-year concession period before the road is handed back to the state.

Ruto says the expressway will cut travel time, reduce accidents and ease congestion on one of Kenya’s busiest corridors. But Nyoro argues that the financing model effectively forces Kenyans to pay for infrastructure that government should provide without extra charges.

“This pushes the burden back to the citizens,” Nyoro said in Nairobi on Thursday, December 4. “Why should Kenyans fund a road through tolls when it is the responsibility of government?”

‘Why Not Make the Road Free?’

Nyoro questioned why the administration is selling government stakes in Safaricom—expected to raise billions—yet still insisting on tolling the road.

“Now that we are selling Safaricom shares, why can’t the government allow free use of that road? Must we package it as a commercial project?” he asked.

He accused the state of hiding behind complex financial jargon to distract Kenyans from the real impact of the toll system.

“These grand infrastructure terms and big money being mentioned are meant to stop Kenyans from asking basic questions—like why day scholar fees are rising in January,” he said.

‘A Dangerous Revenue Experiment’

Nyoro warned that the toll plan marks the beginning of a troubling trend in the country’s financial management.

“It is the first time we are experimenting with having Kenyans pay to use a road without giving them an alternative. The first time we are securitising revenues for years. The first time we are doing off-book borrowing through Talanta and others,” he said.

He accused the government of deliberately delaying the Pangani–Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi road for political convenience, saying Kiambu residents deserved an apology for the three-year delay.

Call for Oversight

Nyoro urged the Law Society of Kenya, civil society groups and leaders across political divides to intervene, saying securitising future revenues for decades could destabilise the economy.

“I challenge all of us to do our bit, because the consequences of these experiments will be very dire for our economy,” he warned.

With the toll set to become one of the highest-profile public–private partnership costs ever imposed on Kenyan motorists, the debate over who should fund national infrastructure is now shaping up to be one of the biggest political battles ahead of 2027.