The government’s plan to build the Rironi–Nakuru–Mau Summit toll road is facing growing scrutiny over its promise to provide free alternative routes, with critics warning that the project could create a transport system divided along wealth lines, even as authorities defend it as crucial for economic growth.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has named a consortium comprising the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as the preferred bidder for the 233-kilometre Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway — a vital trade corridor linking the port of Mombasa to landlocked neighbours.