Former MP opposes toll plan for Dongo Kundu road as SEZ takes centre stage

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Former Kwale County Woman Representative Ms Zuleikha Juma Hassan has publicly opposed a government proposal to convert the newly constructed Dongo Kundu road into a toll-road.

She insists the highway, which connects Lungalunga, Samburu and Matuga, should be open for free use by residents of Kenya’s coastal region.

In a press statement on Monday, Ms Hassan emphasised that residents of the county have waited decades for modern road infrastructure.

“We have waited since the era of President Uhuru Kenyatta — I would say forever — to have a modern road linking our constituency in Lungalunga and other parts of Kwale County,” she said.

She welcomed the new paved road, adding, “For the first time in Kenya’s history, we now have a paved road from Lungalunga via Samburu to Matuga without having to use a ferry.”

She urged the government not to pass legislation enabling the road to become a paid expressway.

“I call on President William Ruto not to approve such a plan. People in Kwale expect to enjoy this road freely as Kenyans in other counties do.”

Ms Hassan stressed the urgency of formally opening the road for public use — including commercial vehicles — before any tolling mechanism is introduced.

She argued that if the national government imposes tolls too early it will stifle business growth and hurt the economy of Kwale County:

“The road will generate economic benefit for Kwale — especially youths who will engage in small business, costs will fall, and new jobs will emerge. If you introduce tolls prematurely, the economy of Kwale will continue to suffer.”

The Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is one of Kenya’s flagship infrastructure projects.

Located in Mombasa County, the zone links the Port of Mombasa to the Mombasa-Lunga Lunga highway and is part of the Dongo Kundu Integrated Industrial Park, backed by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On 28 February 2025, at a signing ceremony in Mombasa, President Ruto witnessed the lease agreements between the Government of Kenya, the Kenya Ports Authority and the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to develop the industrial park within the Mombasa SEZ.

He emphasised the project’s role in Kenya’s industrialisation agenda:

“We have a responsibility to steer the country in the right direction, harnessing the immense potential of manufacturing, industrialisation, agro-processing and value addition within Special Economic Zones.”