County governments could soon take control of a much larger share of road maintenance funds if proposals by a Senate committee are adopted, in changes that would also see the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) abolished and their roles handed to counties.
The proposals are contained in the Senate Roads Committee report on the Kenya Roads (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the National Assembly by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
The committee wants county governments to receive 49 per cent of the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), while the national government retains the remaining 51 per cent to maintain national trunk roads.
The recommendation is a sharp departure from the Bill, which proposes that counties receive only five per cent of the fund.
The debate over the Bill follows a long-running dispute between governors and senators on one side and the National Assembly on the other over how revenue collected through the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund should be distributed.
County governments have maintained that they are responsible for maintaining most roads across the country but continue to receive only a small portion of the levy. They have argued that increasing their allocation would improve the condition of local roads and ease maintenance challenges.
The national government, however, has insisted that national roads agencies require adequate funding to maintain highways that support transport, trade and movement across the country.
According to the committee, the existing funding structure does not fully support the principles of devolution because national agencies continue to undertake duties that belong to county governments.
"The committee recommends that county governments receive 49 per cent of RMLF, while the national government retains 51 per cent to cater for national trunk roads," the report states.
The senators say counties oversee the largest road network in the country but have continued to struggle with inadequate maintenance funding.
They argue that increasing the counties' share of the levy will improve road maintenance, rehabilitation and service delivery.
The committee has also recommended the dissolution of KeRRA and Kura, saying their responsibilities should be transferred to county governments in line with the Constitution.
The panel, chaired by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, says retaining the two agencies has resulted in duplication of functions that are already devolved.
However, it recommends that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) should continue managing national roads.
The report also proposes the removal of the roads component from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), saying road construction and maintenance are functions assigned to county governments.
"The committee recommends the removal of the roads function from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund because it duplicates the constitutional mandate of county governments," the report states.
The senators have further proposed that revenue from the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund be shared using a formula that considers the length of road networks, population, land size, terrain, poverty levels and maintenance needs.
The report says the current system has left many counties unable to adequately maintain roads despite motorists contributing billions of shillings every year through the fuel levy.
According to the committee, aligning road funding with constitutional functions will strengthen devolution, improve accountability and ensure public resources are allocated to the institutions responsible for delivering the services.