The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) is now demanding legal action against President William Ruto and former Head of State Uhuru Kenyatta over the government’s plan to pay billions in a botched highway deal.
According to reports, Kenya is set to pay Ksh6.2 billion to a consortium of French contractors after breaching an agreement for the construction of the Nairobi–Nakuru highway.
Sources privy to the matter further indicated that the termination cost is expected to be paid by the National Treasury before the end of the current financial year, which closes on June 30.
In a statement on Thursday morning, the motorists slammed President Ruto’s administration, terming the decision to cancel the highway construction deal not only reckless but also unacceptable.
While expressing its disappointment, the Association accused the government of making politically motivated decisions that it claimed had significantly hurt taxpayers.
Addressing members of the public, the Motorists Association revealed that it would challenge the move, further accusing the current regime of committing economic crimes at the expense of Kenyans.
To prevent a recurrence of such cases, the aggrieved motorists demanded the prosecution of all government officials involved in the deal, including the sitting President and the former Head of State.
"This is unacceptable. Why should Kenyan taxpayers be punished for reckless, politically motivated decisions made by past leaders? We must not allow this blatant economic sabotage to go unchallenged," the Motorists Association stated.
"We call for immediate legal action against Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, who were at the helm when this contract was entered into and later violated. Let them be held accountable in court for this economic crime. Leadership should come with responsibility, not impunity," it added.
President Ruto's administration cancelled the Ksh190 billion deal with the French company, which had been hired to construct a dual carriageway from Nairobi to Nakuru.
The government ditched the multi-billion agreement with the French firm and instead awarded the construction tender to a Chinese company.
The agreement for the construction of the 140-kilometre road was signed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2020 during his visit to Paris, France.
