By The Weekly Vision Team
Kwale leaders have strongly criticized the proposed plan by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) to charge tolls on the newly launched multi-billion-shilling Dongo Kundu bypass. Led by nominated Senator Raphael Chimera, they said that the tolling policy will impose an additional financial burden on ordinary Kenyans who wish to benefit from the infrastructure and enhance their lives.
Chimera said the move was unjust and that no Kenyan should be charged to access the road. “Accessing the road should be free and no one should be charged a single penny,” said the senator. Chimera said that the Dongo Kundu bypass is a vital infrastructure project intended to boost regional development and improve the quality of life for residents.
He said that tolling the bypass could deter people from using it and undermine its intended benefits. The senator said as leaders they won’t allow the toll policy and will stand firm in rejecting it. Matuga MP Kasim Sawa Tandaza expressed his disapproval of the toll policy, questioning the justification for charging people to use the Dongo Kundu bypass. He said that residents have been eagerly anticipating the road’s opening as a means to alleviate congestion and improve their quality of life.
The Dongo Kundu road is deemed a game changer for Kwale and the country’s economy as it provides an alternative route to the south coast, evading congestion at the Likoni channel. The road connects Miritini, west of Mombasa to Kibundani in Kwale. It passes through Tsunza and Mteza.
The improved connectivity is poised to boost tourism and businesses and enhance the economic prospects of the area. The bypass is 96 per cent complete the contractor is rushing to finish essential aspects such as road signs, lighting, and tarmacking.
According to Tandaza, the focus should be on making life easier for residents rather than adding financial burdens. The MP said charging motorists for using the road infrastructure is not good for both people and the economy. He said that a toll policy might exclude individuals who cannot afford the charges but would want to rely on the road to support their livelihoods. “I’ve heard rumors that the government plans to introduce charges. Let me be clear: that won’t happen,” he said.
Tandaza said that the Dongo Kundu bypass should be free of charge, arguing that all Kenyans should benefit from it without a cost after years of enduring the stress of travelling through the congested Likoni Ferry channel. He advised KeNHA to reconsider the policy and explore alternative funding mechanisms that do not impose additional costs on citizens.
Msambweni MP Feisal Bader opposed KeNHA’s plan to introduce road charges. He suggested that if the government wants to implement a toll policy, it should consider applying it elsewhere and not on the Dongo Kundu bypass. The road tolls are set to be introduced on other major roads such as the Thika Superhighway and the Mombasa Southern Bypass if the road tolling policy is approved.
