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Roads, Transport and Public Works Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims that Nairobi Expressway charges have been increased by 50 per cent.

Murkomen gazetted new charges for users of the Expressway, and the move elicited criticism. One of the critics was Sam Atandi, the Member of Parliament for Alego Usonga, who sought justification for the increase in the rates.

“First, the increase is not 50%. If you take the maximum increase, which is from 360 to 500, you will get a difference of 140 shillings. If you divide Ksh140 by Ksh360 and multiply by 100 you will get 38.89%,” Murkomen said in a statement.

The former Elgeiyo-Marakwet County Senator justified the increase by citing the inflation of the Kenyan shilling against the dollar.

“Now the last adjustment was done when one dollar was equal to Ksh113.14. Now the dollar is Ksh157, and using the same method, i.e., 157 minus 113, which is equal to 44. Divide 44 by 113 and multiply by 100, and you will get 38.9,” he said.

“So the increase is proportional,” Murkomen added.

The CS further said the increase was done based on the agreement the government signed with the investor.

“The adjustment was done based on the project agreement, taking into account the depreciation of the Kenya Shilling to the United States dollar since the time of the gazettement of the toll rates in April 2022.

“The formula for computing the new rates is already embedded in the agreement, taking into account the loan facility provided by the investor, which was borrowed using USD (as a banker, you will understand more),” the statement continued.

Murkomen shielded himself and the Kenya Kwanza government from the increase and said they only followed the agreement signed by the previous administration.

“The Cabinet Secretary and the government of Kenya have no discretion but to follow the agreement as established in 2021.

“The good thing about Expressway is first that the government of Kenya did not give a traffic volume guarantee; otherwise, the taxpayer would now be paying a lot from the interest accrued and inflation plus the difference unmet by less traffic flow.

“Second, the consumer has an alternative route that is not tolled,” he concluded.