Rigathi Gachagua has raised allegations over railway financing and highway spending.
The former deputy president accuses Ruto’s administration of demanding a railway commission and questions highway costs and pension fund spending.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claims Chinese financiers rejected railway funding after President William Ruto’s team demanded a Sh50 billion commission.
He alleged that the demand stalled the proposed Narok–Kisumu–Malaba railway, which would connect Narok to Kisumu and eventually Malaba. Gachagua also claimed the project had no valid contract after the financiers declined to proceed.
He further alleged that Chinese officials considered the railway a politically risky undertaking ahead of elections. However, he accused ministers of wrongly attributing the funding stoppage to the Iran–US conflict.
Railway funding claims extend to highway spending
Gachagua also questioned the Rironi–Mau Summit highway’s projected cost, saying it had increased from Sh150 billion to Sh200 billion. He said former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration initially planned the road with a French company expected to undertake construction.
According to Gachagua, Ruto later negotiated a Sh7 billion payment for the French firm to leave the project. He alleged that the President and the company each received Sh3.5 billion without any construction taking place.
Gachagua further claimed the government transferred the project to Chinese contractors at an inflated price. He named China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Shandong among the companies involved.
Meanwhile, he accused the government of unlawfully directing Sh30 billion from the National Social Security Fund towards the highway. He warned the contractors and NSSF trustees that they would face legal action if he returned to government.
Chirchir cites bitumen shortages as road works continue
Separately, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir attributed highway construction delays to disruptions in bitumen supplies. He cited geopolitical tensions and difficulties affecting international supply chains.
Chirchir said supply constraints over the previous two months had increased bitumen prices from about Sh90 per kilogramme. Prices had reached between Sh200 and Sh220, prompting the government to explore bulk purchases to lower costs.
The government also moved its target for opening the Rironi–Naivasha section from October 30 to December 2026. Chirchir said contractors had deployed more than 1,000 pieces of heavy machinery. At Lari, work had reached the first Dense Bituminous Macadam layer.
The public-private partnership involves CRBC and NSSF on the Rironi–Gilgil and Rironi–Mai Mahiu–Naivasha sections. Shandong is responsible for the Gilgil–Nakuru–Mau Summit stretch.
Beyond infrastructure, Gachagua urged ODM leaders to approach political negotiations with Ruto cautiously ahead of the 2027 General Election. He accused the President of seeking electoral support through commitments he would not honour.
