Motorists demand full refund of road levies, say fuel price hike illegal
Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) blamed the government for deliberately inflating fuel prices and misusing the road levy under what they termed as a false narrative of infrastructure development.
Motorists have intensified their pushback against recent fuel price hikes and the increase in the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), accusing the government of economic sabotage and demanding the return of all levies collected under the revised rates since 2024.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) blamed the government for deliberately inflating fuel prices and misusing the road levy under what they termed a false narrative of infrastructure development.
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They condemned the new RMLF rates, describing them as “economic crime disguised as policy” and said the government was using road maintenance as a cover to impose unnecessary charges while secretly diverting the funds to fraudulent contracts and debt deals.
"Under the guise of road maintenance and upgrades, the state imposed an unjustified hike - a whopping increase per litre; only to misappropriate the funds in shady securitisation of loans and covert deals to pay real and ghost contractors in a growing pattern of financial impunity," read part of the association’s statement.
The association further faulted the government for making changes to the levy without conducting public participation, saying this alone rendered the hike unconstitutional and null.
They are now demanding a full refund of all levies collected through what they call an illegal framework. The group also wants both the latest fuel price review by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and the 2024 RMLF increase completely reversed.
In their statement, the association called on oversight and accountability institutions, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Auditor General, to immediately begin investigations into how funds collected under the levy have been used.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was also singled out by the motorists for his role in authorising the levy increase while he served as Transport Cabinet Secretary in 2024. They criticised his leadership and said the increase was not just unnecessary but also enabled the misuse of funds.
The 2024 review saw the Road Maintenance Levy raised from 18 shillings to 25 shillings per litre, the first adjustment since 2016.
Regarding the current fuel prices, EPRA attributed the sharp rise to an increase in landed costs for petroleum products recorded in June.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi also defended the increase, pointing to rising global oil prices as the main reason behind the new pump rates.
But the Motorists Association dismissed those justifications and insisted that fuel prices should be determined purely by market forces, not state intervention.
They had earlier vowed to hold peaceful demonstrations until their demands are met, including the restoration of a liberalised fuel market system.
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