Following pressure from Kenya's president, the national environment authority has issued a license for the construction of a tarmac road through the forested Aberdare range. Supporters of the project say that connecting two agricultural counties will bring economic development and improve livelihoods. But scientists and conservationists say the road would have an irreversible impact on the ecosystem that is a key wildlife habitat and one of Kenya's main water sources. The project has again raised concerns about President William Ruto's recent trend of defying and criticizing courts and other independent bodies that go against his administration's plans.