In a strong appeal to the government, a prominent motorists association has urged that local engineers and skilled professionals be prioritized in major highway projects, criticizing the continued reliance on foreign contractors.
In a statement released on Monday, the association argued that Kenya possesses the necessary technical capacity to handle large-scale infrastructure projects. “Kenya is not poor in capacity. We have skilled graduates in engineering, surveying, architecture, and technical trades who remain jobless, even as our leaders sign away projects to foreign firms. We have the machinery and equipment bulldozers, graders, rollers, tippers, shovels, and locally available technical expertise. What we lack is the political will to prioritize our own,” the statement read.
The association singled out the proposed expansion of the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway (A8) as a potential catalyst for job creation and economic growth if handled locally. According to them, a public-led approach would generate employment across a wide spectrum from engineers and surveyors to mechanics, welders, and casual laborers while also benefiting small businesses near construction sites, including canteens, workshops, groceries, and hotels.
Criticizing what they described as “phantom deals” with foreign contractors, the association lamented that such arrangements siphon resources away from the local economy, leaving graduates and skilled workers disillusioned and unemployed. “This is what national budgets are for: to create jobs, stimulate enterprise, and build national pride. Instead, we are bleeding away resources,” they stated.
The association warned that outsourcing critical infrastructure undermines Kenya’s independence and long-term development goals. “The question we must ask ourselves is simple: How poor are we really, if with all our resources, our youth, and our machinery, we cannot even build our own roads?” they queried.
In a move to galvanize public support, the association recently launched a petition against the planned expansion and tolling of the Rironi-Mau Summit Highway connecting Nairobi and Nakuru. They also unveiled an online platform to facilitate objections to the government’s current plan, inviting citizens to voice their concerns.
Through this initiative, the association hopes to pressure the government into rethinking its approach, ensuring that Kenya’s infrastructure projects not only modernize the nation’s roads but also create opportunities and dignity for its citizens.
