A day after President William Ruto launched the Sh200 billion upgrade of the Rironi–Mau Summit highway, a motorists’ lobby moved to court seeking to stop the project, accusing the State of surrendering a vital national asset to private operators and imposing fresh financial burdens on Kenyans already buckling under high fuel taxes.

Three officials of the Motorists Association of Kenya—Peter Murima, Joyce Wamahiu, and Josphat Kamau—filed an urgent petition at the High Court in Nakuru, asking judges to immediately halt any construction works on the busy corridor.

The petition targets the Cabinet Secretary for Roads, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the Public Private Partnership Directorate, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), and the Attorney General.

Core Argument: Highway Built With Taxes, Now Being Sold Back to the Public

The lobby claims the government is using Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) models to “commercialise a public asset” and hand long-term control of a key transport artery to private and foreign players.

They argue that the A8 highway sits on public land and has been maintained for decades using taxpayer funds—including the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), which was controversially raised from Sh18 to Sh25 per litre in 2024.

According to the petitioners, motorists now pay taxes that make up nearly 90 per cent.