NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 20 – The Karen & Langata District Association (KLDA) has asked Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) to postpone stakeholder consultations on the proposed Riruta-Ngong Metre Gauge Railway commuter line, citing failure to disclose documents required under a High Court judgment.
The consultations are scheduled for August 25-27, 2026.
In a letter dated August 17 and addressed to Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga, KLDA said public participation should only proceed after the corporation makes key project documents available, including feasibility studies, route alignments, financing arrangements and procurement records.
KLDA General Manager Peter Kitavi said the association was not opposed to participating in the consultations but wanted the court’s requirements fulfilled first.
“The public participation sessions should be deferred until the aforementioned requirements have been met and a feasible date has been communicated to all stakeholders with sufficient notice, and not before,” Kitavi wrote.
He added that proceeding without the disclosures would amount to continued non-compliance with the court judgment.
The association cited a High Court judgment delivered on July 17, 2026 in Constitutional Petition No. E843 of 2025, which it said found that the project had proceeded without mandatory pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
The court also found earlier public participation inadequate and ordered Kenya Railways to conduct fresh consultations supported by disclosure of relevant project information.
KLDA said the invitation for the August consultations did not include documents that the court directed Kenya Railways to disclose, arguing that proceeding without them would repeat shortcomings already declared unconstitutional.
The association has asked Kenya Railways to confirm whether the court-ordered feasibility study has been commissioned, whether Parliament has appropriated funds for the project and whether a fresh competitive procurement process has been undertaken following the invalidation of previous contracts.
It also wants clarification on whether construction activities are taking place while conservatory court orders remain in force.
KLDA has further questioned the suitability of the proposed Chief’s Camp venue in Karen, saying it may not accommodate the expected number of affected residents. It has proposed St Christopher’s Church in Karen as an alternative venue because of its larger capacity and central location.
The residents’ association also raised concerns over what it described as a predetermined railway alignment.
Kitavi said public participation should follow a comprehensive feasibility study assessing different transport options, including alternative railway routes and road improvements, before a preferred alignment is presented to residents.
“Only after the resulting project report is ready does it make sense to call for public participation: without it, participation is speculation, not engagement grounded in science and data,” he wrote.
Among the documents sought by KLDA are pre-feasibility and feasibility reports, traffic studies, demand forecasts, engineering designs for alternatives considered, cost-benefit analyses, route alignments, financing arrangements and procurement records.
The association said its request was made under Article 35 of the Constitution, the Access to Information Act, 2016, and the High Court judgment.
The Riruta-Ngong commuter rail project forms part of Kenya Railways’ plans to expand Nairobi’s commuter rail network.
KLDA said it remains willing to participate in the consultations but wants the court-ordered disclosures made first and sufficient time given to stakeholders to review the information.
