President William Ruto in Kajiado/PCSPresident William Ruto has told off critics questioning his administration’s use of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) to finance road projects, asking where else the money should go if not towards building roads.
Speaking during a rally in Kajiado on Thursday, Ruto defended his decision to securitise the fund and use it to facilitate payments to road contractors across the country.
“I have heard those guys are trying to correct me. That they are saying I have taken money from RMLF and using it to construct roads,” Ruto told the crowd.
He then questioned the basis of the criticism, asking what the fund was intended for.
“First, what is the fund for? Wasn't it to build roads?” he posed.
Ruto said the road levy fund had existed since the 1990s, long before his administration, and questioned how the money had been utilised before his government opted to securitise it.
He also defended the decision to use the fund to settle outstanding payments owed to contractors, including those who had undertaken road works as far back as 2015.
“That fund has been there since 1999 before I took the funds and securitise and pay contractors, even those in 2015; where was that fund going to?” he asked.
Ruto questioned whether the money had previously benefited a small group of people or been used to finance roads selectively across the country.
The President said his administration had changed the way the fund was being utilised by securitising it to raise resources for road projects and pay contractors.
He argued that critics were now opposed to the approach because his government had taken the fund and directed it towards contractors undertaking road works in different parts of the country.
“I want to tell them you are getting angry right now because I have taken that fund, securitised and paid the contractors of every region of Kenya,” Ruto said.
He maintained that the move had helped remove what he described as the politics of discrimination in the allocation and implementation of road projects.
“I have removed politics of discrimination,” he said.
The RMLF is funded through a levy imposed on fuel and is intended to support road maintenance.
The government's decision to securitise the revenues has attracted debate, with critics questioning the use of future collections to finance current road projects and settle obligations.
Ruto, however, sought to frame the approach as a way of unlocking resources for stalled projects and ensuring contractors receive payment for work already undertaken.
He said the previous use of the fund had failed to adequately address road development needs in all parts of the country, arguing that his administration was seeking to spread road investments more evenly.
The President maintained that the focus should be on using the fund for its intended purpose and ensuring that road contractors and projects across the country benefit from the resources.
