Audit road maintenance levy, motorists demand

Motorists Association of Kenya Chairman Peter Murima addressing the media on July 19, 2024 in Nairobi. [Robert Tomno, Standard]

Motorists have demanded an audit and accountability of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund.

The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) request detailed records from the government regarding road maintenance projects and their associated costs.

They demand data that covers the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years.

According to MAK, the fund was established under the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act of 1993, which was implemented recently despite the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.

In a statement, MAK said it has also requested for provision of records showing all roads maintained plus the cost for 2023/2024 and the roads estimated to be maintained in the 2024/2025 financial years.

The public transport sector players argued that the recent Sh7 increase in the levy is expected to boost the fund by an additional Sh32 billion.

They said, this brings the total to approximately Sh114 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year.

“The National Treasury recording shows that the fund was projected to raise Sh80.8 billion in 2023/2024 and Sh82.4 billion in 2024/2025, based on a levy of Sh18 per liter of fuel,” the statement read.

MAK chairperson Peter Murima dismissed claims of meetings with the government and said they had not called off the strike.

Murima said the hiked road maintenance levy would hurt motorists and demanded that the Exchequer shoulder the burden through the Consolidated Fund.

“When you multiply the Sh7 additional charge with the daily consumption of 20 million liters of diesel and petrol we consume, you find that every day we are paying an illegal levy of Sh140 million; and that is money that is being stolen from us,” he said.

 This increase followed the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority's review of fuel prices for the next month from July 15.

However, the Public transport sector players gave authorities a 14-day ultimatum to provide the requested information, threatening legal action if their demands were not met.