Counties to receive direct funding for road maintenance after passage of new Bill
Under the new law, each county must set up a dedicated department for road works, open a special account for funding and submit annual road programmes for approval to the Kenya Roads Board.
County governments will now be required to manage and maintain roads within their jurisdictions in line with national standards after the National Assembly passed the Kenya Roads (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Under the new law, each county must set up a dedicated department for road works, open a special account for funding and submit annual road programmes for approval to the Kenya Roads Board. The programmes, once approved by the county executive committees, are intended to enhance transparency and accountability in the use of road funds.
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The Bill amends the Kenya Roads Act to classify public roads into national trunk roads and county roads, reflecting the country’s devolved system of governance.
Clause 3 introduces the classification in the First Schedule and requires the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport to review the classification and assignment of roads at least once every five years, ensuring that the road network adapts to emerging infrastructural needs.
A new section, 47A, introduced under Clause 4, details county governments’ obligations regarding road maintenance, rehabilitation and development, requiring them to adhere to national standards and policies. The Bill also amends the Kenya Roads Board Act to allocate a portion of road maintenance funds directly to counties for the first time, strengthening the principles of devolution.
Under the proposed allocation of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is set to receive 36 per cent, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) will handle constituency roads with 21 per cent and link roads connecting constituencies with 10 per cent, while the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) will receive 14 per cent.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is allocated one per cent, and the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) will receive 1.5 per cent. The State Department for Roads will also receive 1.5 per cent, the Ministry of Transport 10 per cent, and county governments will receive five per cent directly, marking a historic step in devolving road management responsibilities.
The Kenya Roads Board will monitor and evaluate all projects financed under the Fund and is empowered to take remedial or supplementary measures where necessary to ensure compliance with national standards and maintain quality across all levels of road infrastructure.
"The board shall specify the form and content of an annual road programme and monitor and evaluate all works, goods and services financed by the fund," the sponsor of the Bill, Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma, said.
"The board may take such remedial, supplementary or alternative measures to ensure compliance with the conditions under this Act or any other written law."
Through its comprehensive framework, the law seeks to enhance efficiency, accountability and equitable funding in Kenya’s road sector, ensuring that both national and county governments are equipped to meet the country’s growing infrastructural needs.
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