High-ranking officials at the Kenya Railways Corporation and China Bridge and Road Corporation have been taken to court for constructing the railway line via Nairobi National Park.
According to an article by Standard Media, Kenya Coalition for Wildlife Conservation and Management and activist Okiya Omtatah have taken the officials to court and they want them jailed for proceeding with SGR phase 2A.
The construction of phase 2A has attracted about 4 cases. One of the cases is before the National Environment Tribunal and the rest are before the Environment and Lands Court.
Phase 2A Alternative Routes
Kenya Railways had seven alternative routes for the construction of phase 2 before agreeing with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on the current route. The alternative routes for the railway line to pass through Athi River, Kibera, and the Park from Karen and Lang’ata were discarded because they would each cost over Sh60 billion. Additionally, KWS disagreed on the Park route from Karen and Lang’ata because the high wildlife population in the area would be disrupted by the construction 16.4 kilometres railway line.
Court Orders and Appeals
China Bridge and Road Corporation denies receiving any court order although an application submitted to the tribunal refers to court orders halting construction at Nkoroi, Ngong Hills, Duka Moja, Tuala, Suswa, and Rankau.
Additionally, Kenya Railways Corporation has filed two appeals at the Environment and Lands Court challenging these court orders. Therefore, the orders could be unenforceable.
