By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 8 May 2026 - County governments are in line to receive KSh 10.5 billion from the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) under a new proposal currently before the Senate, marking a modest but politically significant shift in the long-running battle over road funding in Kenya.
The proposal was presented to the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transport and Housing as part of ongoing efforts to restructure how fuel levy funds are shared between the national and county governments.
The plan outlines a broader allocation framework in which national trunk roads, classified under Classes S, A, B and C, would receive KSh 59.49 billion, while county roads, which fall under Classes D to G, would be allocated the KSh 10.5 billion share.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of an intense push by county governments to secure a larger share of the fuel levy. Governors have consistently argued that counties manage the bulk of Kenya’s road network but receive disproportionately low funding.
Data shows that counties are responsible for over 76% of the country’s road network, yet historically received only a fraction of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund.
This imbalance has been at the centre of legal and political battles, including a landmark court ruling that declared the exclusion of counties from direct access to the fund unconstitutional, forcing Parliament to amend the law by July 2026.
The latest proposal appears to strike a compromise, maintaining a dominant share for national highways while increasing allocations to counties, albeit modestly.
For the national government, the priority remains funding major infrastructure projects and maintaining key transport corridors critical to economic activity. For counties, however, the focus is on local access roads that directly affect livelihoods, trade, and mobility at the grassroots level.
The debate reflects a broader question of “resources versus responsibilities”, with counties arguing that funding should follow function, especially in a devolved system.
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If approved, the KSh 10.5 billion allocation could improve maintenance of rural and urban access roads, many of which have deteriorated due to chronic underfunding.
Better roads at the county level would have direct economic benefits, reducing transport costs, improving market access for farmers, and enhancing connectivity within towns and rural areas.
However, critics argue that the allocation still falls short of expectations, especially given the scale of the network under county governments. Some leaders have previously pushed for as much as 42% of the total levy fund to be devolved to counties, far above current proposals.
The outcome of the proposal will be closely watched as it ties into broader fiscal and constitutional questions around devolution, revenue sharing, and infrastructure financing.
With Parliament racing against a court-imposed deadline to align the law with the Constitution, the final structure of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund could reshape how Kenya funds and manages its road network for years to come.
For now, the KSh 10.5 billion proposal signals progress, but also highlights how far the debate on equitable resource distribution still has to go.