07 May 2022

• The Nairobi Expressway will be commissioned by Uhuru Kenyatta this month.

• The expressway will only be accessible to pay who pay toll.

This is according to Infrastructure Principal Secretary (PS) Paul Maringa.

According to Maringa, who was speaking before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, the Ksh. 88 billion Expressway will be launched this month, albeit on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s order.

“The Expressway will be launched this month depending on the President’s calendar,” Maringa told the committee, chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wanday.

The PS’ announcement comes just two weeks after the Ministry of Transport lifted the Nairobi Expressway's toll rates by 16 percent to reflect foreign exchange changes for the dollar-denominated charges following the weakening of the Kenyan Shilling.

As it stands, the base toll charge for using the Expressway from Mlolongo to the James Gichuru exit in Westlands is currently set at Ksh.360 while the cost of using the Expressway between the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Westlands is Ksh. 300.

The cost of using the road from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Museum Hill interchange is also set at Ksh. 300.

Light vehicles with two axles are expected to pay the same rates as that of saloon cars (base toll rates) while heavy vehicles with four or more axles will pay five times the base toll rates meaning a heavy trailer will be paying Ksh.1,800 to move from Mlolongo to Westlands on the Expressway.

Bodabodas and tuk-tuks will remain banned from the Nairobi Expressway.