Updated on January 20, 2026- The High Court has suspended temporarily the construction works of the Riruta-Ngong Railway pending hearing of a petition that was filed by Senator Okiya Omtatah and two others. Also, other than just suspending, the court further suspended any disbursements of the Railway Development Levy Fund (RDLF) towards the Riruta-Ngong Railway project.
The petitioners raised questions on the use of the Fund under what they termed as systemic misapplication of the RDLF under the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act. They stated that the diversion of funds from RDLF is being done without the approval of the parliament.
Furthermore, they also say that the government did not conduct public participation before starting the construction of the railway.
Other Railway Projects to be Developed in Kenya
Kenya is seeking to gear up its railway infrastructure so as to improve on connectivity and logistics. In an ambitious project that is expected to make the country a railway transport hub in the region, Kenya seeks to extend its standard gauge railway to Uganda this year. This SGR is expected to enable Uganda’s access to the Indian Ocean and facilitate movement of goods from Port of Mombasa in Kenya to Uganda.
July 17, 2025
Kenya’s high court has cleared the construction of the multi-million-dollar Riruta-Ngong railway project after petition. The 12.5 kilometer railway line was launched in December 2030 and connects several regions. These include Riruta, Karen, Bulbul and Ngong across Nairobi and Kajiado counties. Furthermore, the line is expected to serve at least 10,000 passengers daily once completed. The monumental project will proceed as planned after the High Court ruled in the government’s favor. It noted that the government and its partners conducted sufficient public consultations before construction. In her ruling, Justice Anne Omollo stated that Kenya Railways Corporation had adequately engaged the public before launching the Sh8.7 billion project. The government works in collaboration with the Ministry of Roads and Transport and Chinese contractors. “Taking all the evidence into account, I find that the respondents conducted adequate public participation before the assessment report dated May 17, 2024,” noted the judge.
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The State of Affairs Regarding the Riruta-Ngong Railway Project
The Riruta-Ngong railway project aims to reduce traffic congestion and enhance public transport in the capital and surrounding areas. The petition, filed by the Karen Lang’ata District Association covered several scopes they felt infringed. The petitioners claimed that the consultation process was flawed. Furthermore, they noted it was inadequate, and excluded directly affected persons. They also alleged that construction began on land owned by the Directorate of Veterinary Services in Ngong. The group noted that this was done without proper environmental scrutiny or community engagement. Concerns raised also included potential air, water and noise pollution.
It also entailed disruption of biodiversity in Karen’s ecologically sensitive zones and destruction of tree cover in residential neighborhoods. In addition, they questioned the credibility of some public participation questionnaires, citing missing dates and signatures. Based on this, the petitioners asked the court to declare the project unconstitutional, cancel the contract awarded to Kenya Railways Corporation. They also asked subsequent contracts withdrawn from China Railway Design Corporation, and Apec Consortium Co. Ltd. Moreover, they asked for the issuance of a permanent injunction halting construction. However, the judge noted that environmental risks raised by the association were already addressed in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report, which included mitigation.
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Kenya’s Government Provides Update on Progress of the Ngong-Suswa Road Project
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