Rigathi Gachagua has just dropped a bombshell accusation that Emmanuel Macron's visit to Kenya is connected to a Ksh7 billion corruption scandal involving a cancelled French road deal — and honestly, bana, the timing is too suspicious to ignore.

The Ksh7 Billion Question Nobody's Answering

During a press conference on Tuesday, the former Deputy President came out swinging, claiming that Kenyan taxpayers got absolutely fleeced when the government axed the Rironi-Mau Summit Road project — a massive infrastructure deal that was supposed to ease the notorious Nairobi-Nakuru traffic nightmare. The project was originally given to a French consortium worth a cool Ksh159 billion back in 2020, kumbe it all went south. Gachagua now alleges that when the deal got cancelled, we (yes, we Kenyans) ended up forking out Ksh7 billion in what he's calling "compensation" to the French firms involved. Sijui how you compensate someone for a deal you cancelled, lakini that's the allegation on the table.

Here's where it gets spicy: Gachagua is suggesting Macron's visit to Kenya for the Africa Forward Summit wasn't just a friendly diplomatic tour. Nah. According to him, the French president showed up to allegedly finalize these unresolved financial negotiations tied to the terminated contract. "Mr Macron, you are an accomplice in the Ksh7 billion payout," he declared — and ndio, he said it loud enough for everyone to hear.

When Kenyans Made Noise at Taifa Hall

Remember those chaotic scenes at the University of Nairobi's Taifa Hall where Macron's speech got disrupted? Sections of the audience were chanting and causing a proper scene — and Gachagua is now tying it directly to public rage over this Ksh7 billion issue. He's saying Kenyans weren't having it, that they were basically telling Macron: "Aki, leave our money here! We need it to pay school fees!"

Whether you believe him or not, sawa, one thing's clear: there's legitimate public frustration simmering beneath the surface about how infrastructure deals are being handled. The fact that citizens were vocal enough to disrupt a presidential address speaks volumes about trust levels in government.

The French Deal Timeline Nobody's Forgotten

The Rironi-Mau Summit Road wasn't just some random contract. Back in September 2020, the government announced this was THE game-changer — a public-private partnership that would transform travel between Nairobi and the western region. But faster than you can say "conflict of interest," the whole thing got suspended and eventually cancelled, with officials citing financing disagreements and restructuring of priorities. Then — plot twist — Kenya started engaging Chinese contractors instead.

The Jukwaa Take: Whether Gachagua's allegations stick or not, one thing's crystal: Kenyans are tired of billion-shilling deals happening in boardrooms while our roads remain pothole disasters and school fees drain families dry.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke