National Assembly Approves Bill to Streamline Road Management and Funding

The National Assembly has approved the Kenya Roads (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to align the management and funding of roads with the devolved system of governance.

The Bill amends the Kenya Roads Act to classify public roads into two main categories — national trunk roads and county roads. It also revises the Kenya Roads Board Act to promote equitable distribution of road maintenance and development funds between the national and county governments.

The six-clause Bill aims to enhance efficiency in road management at all levels of government by providing a clear framework for classification, funding, and oversight of roads.

Clause 3 of the Bill amends Section 47 of the Kenya Roads Act to provide for the classification of roads into national trunk roads and county roads as outlined in the First Schedule. It also mandates the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport to review the classification of roads at least once every five years, ensuring that road networks reflect the country’s infrastructural growth and changing needs.

A new section, 47A, introduced under Clause 4, defines the roles of county governments in managing roads within their jurisdictions. County governments will be required to adhere to national standards and policies while maintaining, rehabilitating, and developing county roads under the supervision of their respective county executive committee members.

In a move to strengthen devolution, the Bill amends the Kenya Roads Board Act to allocate a portion of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund to county governments for the first time. Clause 6 of the Bill proposes that 5 percent of the Fund be channeled directly to counties to support road works.

Under the new allocation framework, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) will receive 36 percent of the fund, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) 21 percent for constituency roads and 10 percent for link roads, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) 14 percent, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) 1 percent, the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) 1.5 percent, the State Department for Roads 1.5 percent, county governments 5 percent, and the Ministry of Roads and Transport 10 percent.

Each county government will be required to establish a department or division in charge of road works, open a special purpose account at the Central Bank of Kenya, and submit annual road programmes to the Kenya Roads Board. These programmes will be approved by the county executive committees to promote transparency and accountability in the use of funds.

The Kenya Roads Board will oversee, monitor, and evaluate all projects financed by the Fund and will have the authority to take corrective or supplementary action to ensure compliance with national standards.