As Kenyan stakeholders complain because tolls to use their new Nairobi Expressway have increased before the Chinese-built road has even opened, they should spare a thought for their compatriots in Cambodia. While the toll on the Nairobi Expressway will start from about $1 for the smallest vehicles, single car users of the soon-to-be-completed Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway will pay $12. This price will kick in after a month of free access. After a year, the toll could be hiked to $19. 

Both roads are being built by the Chinese state-owned construction behemoth China Road and Bridge Corporation. The cost difference is partly due to a difference in size. The Cambodian road is 7 times longer and contains 89 bridges. However, both are funded by public-private partnerships in which CRBC will recoup its cost through tolls. Both roads will open soon.