Nairobi, Sept. 9 -- Collections through the Roads Maintenance Levy (RML) increased by an estimated Sh15 billion in the year ended June 2026, turning focus to whether the extra billions will translate to improved roads.

Analysis based on official data on fuel consumption shows that RML collections hit a record Sh135.27 billion, a rise of 13 percent from the Sh119.7 billion the previous year. RML is charged at the rate of Sh25 per litre of diesel and petrol at the pump and is used to maintain public roads in the country.

The higher collections shift attention to the Kenya Roads Board (KRB), which distributes the collections to other agencies charged with the maintenance of roads including the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the...