Ndindi Nyoro faults government over high fuel prices, road toll plan

Once a strong defender of the Kenya Kwanza government, Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has again criticised the administration over the recent fuel price adjustments and the planned tolling of roads.

He argued that frequent and unpredictable price changes are hurting competitiveness and increasing the cost of living.

Nyoro faulted the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) for hiking fuel prices by Sh9 last month, but reducing it by just one shilling this month.

"I want to remind my brothers and sisters in policymaking that one shilling in Kenya can't even buy a sweet for our children. It's important they understand that fuel carries the economy of our country," he said.

Nyoro observed that fuel prices in Kenya are the highest in the region, with no neighboring country selling fuel at higher rates - including Uganda, whose fuel passes through Kenya.

The legislator made the remarks on Friday during the 5th graduation ceremony of Gorgeous Technical Institute in Thika, Kiambu County, where he also called for equal treatment of students pursuing technical courses in both public and private institutions.

On Thursday, August 14, EPRA announced adjustments to the maximum retail prices for Super Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene.

Petrol was reduced by Sh1, now retailing at Sh185.31 per litre in Nairobi. Diesel remained unchanged at Sh171.58 per litre, while Kerosene dropped by Sh1 to Sh155.58 per litre.

EPRA said these changes, which took effect on August 15, 2025, are in line with Section 101(y) of the Petroleum Act, 2019, and Legal Notice No. 192 of 2022. The authority attributed the adjustments to global oil prices, exchange rates, and applicable taxes and levies.

Nyoro insisted that high taxes and levies, especially the Sh7 levy introduced last year, are the main drivers of high fuel prices.

"We are asking the government not to slow down the economy with high prices. When prices rise, investors get alternatives in other countries," he said.

He also criticized the government's plan to introduce toll stations, warning that doing so would make Kenya uncompetitive and raise the cost of doing business.

"The people of Nakuru and those travelling up to Eldoret and beyond should get a dual carriageway from Rironi all the way to Bidiot without being forced to use a toll road. You cannot toll a key corridor like the Mombasa-Malaba route, because that will increase business costs and push investment out of the economy. The road from Nairobi to Nakuru can raise the required funds without expensive PPP arrangements," Nyoro argued.

On March 2025, the Cabinet approved the dualling of the 170 km Rironi-Mau Summit road, directing that the construction framework be finalized and groundbreaking occur by June 1, 2025. Completion is targeted for June 2027.

Last month, Transport CS Davis Chirchir stated the project-spanning Rironi to Nakuru, Eldoret, and ultimately to Malaba-is to proceed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Concession proposals are under evaluation, and geotechnical surveys are ongoing in preparation for ground-breaking.Multiple sources confirm that construction is slated to begin before the end of August 2025.