Motorists Association of Kenya has opposed to the proposed toll fees for the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway, terming the project immoral. It said the proposed charges were not viable given the cost effect on the road users.

This follows announcements by Kyle McCarter, Usahihi Expressway Limited chairman, about the toll structure of the highway during the release of the project’s feasibility report, stating that motorists using the highway will pay between Sh12 and Sh13 per kilometre.

“The toll charges will be in the neighbourhood of Sh12 to Sh13 a kilometre,” McCarter said, emphasising that these rates could potentially decrease further as the company works to reduce construction costs and capital expenses. “The more we save, the lower that toll rate goes down.”

He added that, unlike the Nairobi Expressway, which charges different rates based on vehicle class, this base toll will apply to all vehicles regardless of size.

However, despite promises to cut transit time from 10-12 to 4-5 hours, reduce fuel use by 30 per cent, a journey from the capital to Mombasa will cost motorists a total of around Sh5,280, excluding fuel costs and other costs.

Toll fees

“The broad-based imposition of PPP toll fees on road users along Rironi Nakuru and Mombasa-Nairobi Highways is utterly deceptive and evil,” the association stated a statement dated May 6.

The lobby group expressed concern over the financial burden of the toll fees, particularly for motorists who primarily rely on the Nairobi-Mombasa route for transport purposes. It added that handing over the country’s public highway to foreign entities, allowing them to impose user fees on the citizens of a sovereign nation, is an immoral act.

With the total cost incurred for a trip closing in on flight prices to Mombasa, the expressway could only be ideal for businesses looking for lower business costs, quicker deliveries, and less spoilage for perishables. “With smoother logistics and less congestion, trade efficiency is set to soar!  Plus, improved connectivity will stimulate economic growth in towns along the route, unlocking new opportunities across Kenya,” the Usahihi Expressway project stated in a Facebook post.

The construction of the 440 km Nairobi-Mombasa Usahihi Expressway is set to begin early next year, once a major fundraising initiative concludes in the second half of this year.

Usahihi Expressway Limited, the project developer backed by US-based Everstrong Capital, submitted a full feasibility study report to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) earlier this week and is awaiting approval by the Treasury’s Directorate of Public Private Partnerships, which is expected within the next two months. The handover represents the most comprehensive and transparent study of its kind in Kenya’s history, spanning over 2,300 pages of technical, legal, financial, environmental, and social analysis.

“This milestone not only affirms the project’s full readiness but also marks a critical shift from vision to execution. The study confirms full compliance with Kenya’s Public-Private Partnership framework and sets a new benchmark for infrastructure planning and transparency,” the Usahihi Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway project stated in another Facebook post.

Adding that with private financing of over $3.6 billion (Sh464 billion) in motion and financial close targeted soon, construction is set to begin in early 2026.

Once completed, the expressway will reduce travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa from 10.5 to 4.5 hours, while unlocking new trade routes, creating thousands of jobs, and enhancing regional connectivity and safety.