Government Criticised for Handing Projects to Foreign Firms as Kenyan Engineers Remain Jobless

The Motorists Association of Kenya has strongly criticised the government for giving major road construction projects to foreign companies while many Kenyan engineers, graduates, and skilled workers remain unemployed.

The group has urged leaders to prioritise local professionals and resources, warning that continued reliance on outsiders is locking Kenyans out of jobs and slowing economic growth.

In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, the association accused the government of favouring private foreign operators in the awarding of contracts.

They argued that such companies end up controlling, tolling, and profiting from infrastructure projects that should instead serve as national assets meant to unite and uplift the Kenyan people.

“Kenya is not a country short of talent or capacity,” the statement read. “We have thousands of skilled graduates in engineering, architecture, surveying, and technical trades who remain idle while our leaders hand over opportunities to foreign firms.

We have the necessary equipment—bulldozers, graders, rollers, tippers, shovels—and we have the technical knowledge to complete these projects. What is missing is the political will to prioritise our own people.”

The association pointed to the proposed expansion of the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway (A8) as a clear example of a project that should employ thousands of Kenyans and stimulate growth across the local economy.

They explained that if such projects were led by public institutions and local firms, they would create an entire chain of opportunities, from engineers and surveyors to welders, mechanics, and casual workers.

According to the group, surrounding communities and small businesses would also directly benefit from locally managed projects. Roadside traders, canteens, workshops, butcheries, hotels, and grocery shops could thrive around construction sites, ensuring that money spent on the projects circulates within the Kenyan economy.

The association criticised the government for entering what they termed “phantom deals” with foreign contractors. They argued that such agreements drain resources out of the country while leaving skilled youth hopeless and jobless.

“This is the very purpose of national budgets—to create jobs, grow businesses, and build pride among citizens. Instead, our money is flowing away to foreign companies,” the statement added.

The group posed a tough question to the government: “How poor can we really be as a nation, if with all our resources, youth, and machinery, we cannot even construct our own roads?”

They cautioned that giving away critical infrastructure projects to foreign operators threatens Kenya’s independence and undermines its long-term development goals.

For them, a country that cannot provide jobs and dignity to its own citizens risks losing not only its roads but also its future.

To push their case further, the Motorists Association revealed that last Thursday they launched a petition against the planned expansion of the Rironi–Mau Summit highway, which links Nairobi to Nakuru.

They explained that an online platform has already been created to give Kenyans a chance to raise objections to the government’s plan of constructing and tolling the road through a foreign operator.

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