By Kamadi Amata
Cabinet secretary nominee for Roads, Transport and Public works, Kipchumba Murkomen has said his first order of business if approved, will be to publicize the SGR contract.
Speaking on Wednesday when he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on appointments, Murkomen said no one knows the details of the multi-billion project.
He further opined that toll charges on the Nairobi Expressway shall not be scrapped off despite public outcry from motorists on the fees.
According to Murkomen, tolling of roads should not be perceived as a charge but instead a saving, arguing that it allows the public an advantage of saving on fuel costs and time.
“If approved my first business will be to look for the SGR contract and make it public to Kenyans with the help of the National Assembly,” he said.
“Tolling is not an extra charge, its a saving. If you look at the Expressway you’ll find that it takes a shorter time to move from one end to the other meaning that you have saved time that sometimes would be 3 hours” said Murkomen.
“You realize that the cost of staying at Mombasa road for 3 hours will come to a certain figure and that will save you when it is reduced to 20 minutes but most importantly you save a lot on fuel,” he added.