The days of free cruising on the Thika Superhighway are numbered, as Treasury CS John Mbadi doubles down on the government’s controversial plan to introduce toll stations on Kenya’s most critical economic arteries, ignoring a rising tide of public anger.

Despite protests from motorists and warnings from economists about the inflationary impact on transport costs, the government remains immovable. Mbadi’s affirmation is a clear signal that the state’s need for revenue—and the repayment of massive infrastructure loans—trumps the immediate pain of the "Wanjiku." The plan targets not just Thika Road but other major highways like the Rironi-Mau Summit, effectively ringing Nairobi with toll booths that will extract a daily fee from the working class entering the capital.

The Economics of Pain

The rationale provided is familiar: the toll fees will fund upgrades and maintenance. However, for the daily commuter who already pays the Road Maintenance Levy through fuel prices, this feels like double taxation. The Thika Superhighway, once the pride of Kibaki’s infrastructure legacy, is set to become a symbol of the current administration’s "user-pay" philosophy.

Critics argue that tolling an existing road—rather than a new private expressway—is a breach of the social contract. But with the debt ceiling looming and the IMF watching, the Treasury sees the thousands of cars on Thika Road not as commuters, but as an untapped revenue stream.

• The Plan: Introduce toll stations on Thika Superhighway and other key highways.
• The Reason: To fund road upgrades and service infrastructure debt.
• The Backlash: Motorists view it as double taxation, given the existing fuel levies.

The Political Gamble

This move is politically perilous. Thika Road serves a dense, vocal, and politically active demographic. Squeezing them further during a cost-of-living crisis could ignite the kind of civil disobedience seen during the Finance Bill protests. Yet, the government seems calculated in its risk, betting that Kenyans will grumble but ultimately pay up to avoid the gridlock of alternative routes.

A New Reality

As the policy moves from proposal to implementation, the psychological map of Nairobi is changing. Access to the city is becoming a premium service. For the matatu operators and logistics companies, these costs will inevitably be passed down to the passenger and the consumer, adding another layer of inflation to an already burdened economy.

"We are building roads," the government says. "But we are building walls," the people reply.