Treasury Defends Nairobi–Nakuru Toll Project Amid Allegations of “Engineered Traffic”

Nairobi, Kenya – The Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Directorate has strongly denied claims that the government is deliberately creating traffic jams along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway to justify toll road concessions.

PPP Director-General Kefa Seda, in a statement issued through the National Treasury, dismissed the allegations as misleading and harmful to public trust. He stressed that Kenya’s PPP framework is governed by strict legal, technical, and financial standards, requiring feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and affordability tests before projects are approved.

The Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway Project

The highway is being upgraded into a modern dual carriageway with service lanes, pedestrian facilities, and advanced safety features. The project, implemented under a PPP concession, is expected to:

• Reduce travel time between Nairobi and western Kenya.

• Ease congestion that costs the economy millions daily in lost productivity.

• Strengthen the Northern Corridor, which links the Port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and eastern DRC.

According to Seda, current traffic disruption is a temporary effect of construction and part of a long-planned strategy to expand one of Kenya’s busiest roads.

Financing and the Toll Debate

The project is being financed under a PPP arrangement where private investors fund construction and recoup costs through regulated toll fees. This model reduces reliance on government borrowing and spreads the cost of infrastructure over time.

Motorists’ associations, however, have raised concerns that tolls will transfer the burden directly to citizens. They argue that Kenyans are already overtaxed and that tolls could increase the cost of transport and goods.

The Treasury insists tolling decisions are not arbitrary. Fees are:

• Benchmarked internationally to ensure competitiveness.

• Subject to affordability studies for Kenyan households.

• Regulated to prevent excessive charges.

Global Comparisons

Kenya’s PPP toll model mirrors similar approaches used in South Africa, India, and parts of Europe, where private capital has been mobilised to expand critical transport networks.

• In South Africa, the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project relies on tolling, though it has faced political resistance.

• In India, the Golden Quadrilateral highway network was funded largely through toll concessions, credited with reducing travel times and spurring trade.

• In France and Spain, long-term concessions have delivered modern highways with mixed public acceptance.

Analysts say Kenya must strike a balance: ensuring tolls remain affordable for local users while guaranteeing that investors recover their costs and maintain roads to international standards.

Economic Outlook

Economists argue that improved highways could:

• Lower vehicle operating costs through smoother traffic flows.

• Enhance competitiveness of Kenyan exports by reducing logistics costs.

• Boost tourism and trade in Rift Valley and western Kenya.

• Create jobs during construction and long-term maintenance.

However, they caution that without strong regulation, toll projects risk widening inequality if low-income users are priced out of major routes.

The Road Ahead

The Treasury has reaffirmed that all PPP toll projects will undergo continuous monitoring to ensure fairness and financial sustainability. Construction on the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit road is scheduled to continue in phases, with officials projecting that benefits will far outweigh current inconveniences once the project is complete.

“The PPP model is about partnership, not profiteering,” Seda said. “Our goal is to build world-class infrastructure that Kenyans can afford and that supports long-term growth.”