Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has renewed allegations against President William Ruto over the stalled Mau Summit Road project, questioning the cancellation of an earlier French construction contract, the subsequent engagement of Chinese contractors and the involvement of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Speaking on Sunday, November 1, 2026, during a church service at PCEA Kamangu in Kikuyu Constituency, Gachagua alleged that the road project had been subjected to questionable finances.
He claimed Ruto’s government recalled an earlier tender awarded to a French company, even though the project was valued at approximately KSh150 billion.
In addition, the DCP party leader argued that the company was subsequently paid KSh7 billion after the cancellation, with Ruto and the company splitting the money in half.
“The Mau Summit road project had been planned by Uhuru Kenyatta in a budget of KSh 150 billion under a French Company. After taking over the government, Ruto told the French company to cancel the project and pay for the losses. They negotiated a price of KSh 7 billion, and they divided the money in half,” Rigathi explained.
Gachagua Links Chinese Contractors and NSSF to the Project
Gachagua further accused the Ruto administration of changing the project’s financing and construction arrangements before turning to Chinese companies to undertake the road works.
According to Gachagua, the road project was subsequently structured around two Chinese-backed proposals, including China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International Engineering in partnership with NSSF.
Under the arrangement, the CRBC-NSSF consortium was assigned the Rironi-Naivasha-Gilgil section and the Rironi-Mai Mahiu-Naivasha road, covering approximately 139 kilometers.
Shandong Hi-Speed was assigned the 94-kilometer Gilgil-Nakuru-Mau Summit section in November 2025, after the PPP Committee approved the split arrangement.
Rigathi also turned his attention to NSSF, questioning the use of KSh 30 billion of workers’ retirement savings in the road project.
He threatened legal action against the institution over its involvement in the financing arrangement, raising concerns about the protection of contributors’ funds.
“I want to put on notice the directors of CRBC and Shandong, the trustees of NSSF, including the managing trustees, that you have used KSh 30 billion for pensions on a political project. You shall have your day in court,” Rigathi stated.
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Mau Summit Road Construction
During his address, Gachagua also questioned the progress of the road project, alleging that Chinese contractors had declined to complete the works because of political considerations.
He linked the alleged delays to disagreements surrounding the project’s financing and contractual arrangements, accusing Ruto of making demands that had complicated implementation.
Additionally, Rigathi called out Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, saying that his explanation for why the project was stalling was an excuse.
However, according to the National Treasury’s project progress report, CRBC said it needed more time to obtain Chinese government approvals because the financing requirement for the full project exceeded US$1 billion.
The negotiations failed to meet the government’s preferred implementation timeline, prompting authorities to consider splitting the project between the two proponents.
Uhuru Kenyatta’s Administration French Contract
The controversy surrounding the Mau Summit Road project dates back to September 2020, during the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
On September 30, 2020, Kenya signed an agreement with a French consortium comprising VINCI Highways, VINCI Concessions and Meridiam to develop the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
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The agreement was signed in Paris during Kenyatta’s state visit to France, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Initially, the project was valued at approximately KSh159.27 billion, with the consortium expected to finance, construct, operate and maintain the highway before recovering its investment through toll charges over a 30-year concession period.
However, after taking office, President William Ruto’s administration reviewed and eventually terminated the French contract, citing concerns about affordability, proposed toll charges, and the financial risks it could impose on the government.
The cancellation led to a KSh7.31 billion compensation payment to the French consortium, which the Auditor-General later questioned, citing the use of funds from the securitized Road Maintenance Levy Fund.
President Ruto officially launched the new road construction program on November 28, 2025.
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