Karen residents have threatened to move to court and stop the construction of the new Sh1.2 billion Riruta-Ngong’ Commuter railway line, citing a lack of public participation.
The 12.5km rail will traverse Riruta, Karen, Bulbul, and Ngong.
President William Ruto commissioned the proposed railway project on December 15 last year.
Authorities said the project, once complete, will have the capacity to move 10,000 people daily.
In a heated public participation exercise held on Friday at St Christopher's International School, Karen, the residents wondered why the project was being implemented without their knowledge.
The stakeholder engagement brought together the Karen Langata District Association, Kenya Railways Technical Services general manager Eng Tobias Otieno and officials from APEC-CDRC consortium working on the project.
“Our presence here does not in any way endorse or approve the project. We are here to listen and absorb what Kenya Railways will give us before giving any feedback,” Karen and Lang'ata District Association chairman Sikalieh Samora said even as the engagement that was chaired by Karen Assistant County Commissioner Adan Kerow got underway.
Samora said residents were demanding that authorities ensure the law is complied with and that their rights are upheld.
He warned that public participation must not be used as a rubber stamp, as has happened before.
Aware that the engagement would get heated, Kerow asked residents to give their views in a sober manner.
Otieno said there are corridors that were not served, hence the need to extend them.
“Some of them would require that we extend the existing lines so that we are able to cover the new areas. Some of them, we completely do new sections,” he said.
Otieno said some of the areas that were recommended include line 8, which is supposed to extend commuter rail services from around the Dagoreti area all the way up to Ngong.
“The plan is to extend also from Ngong to go to Kiserian and also from Kiserian to get back to Rongai so that we are able to connect meter gauge line with SGR line so that we provide a loop. This is because currently, through the SGR line that we did and commissioned in 2019, we are providing commuter services along the SGR. Basically, we are doing a service from Nairobi service station to Nairobi terminus from there we go through the new SGR line through Ongata Rongai up to Ngong,” Otieno said.
He said services extend on select days of the week to provide a mini long distance that goes to Suswa every three days weekly.
Otieno said the Riruta, Ngong, Kiserian, and Ongata Rongai lines they want to construct are the first phase of the larger Riruta, Ngong’, Kiserian, and Ongata Rongai lines.
“We are going to implement it in phases because of budgetary constraints, but approval has been given for us to implement the entire loop so that we are able to serve residents of Karen, Ngong, Kiserian, and also Ongata Rongai.”
He said the project will offer an integrated, efficient, effective, and sustainable public transport system.
Otieno said park and ride facilities will be provided within stations.
He touched the raw nerves of the residents when he suggested that the project had started in some sections.
He said reviews of the designs have been done.
“At the moment, the consultants are undertaking the resettlement action plan study. They are also undertaking the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment so that we get to understand what the issues are, how we can address them, and eventually know where we can put our line and in what form.”
Otieno said subsequent meetings will be held with the residents with a view to finding the best way forward.
He said Kenya Railways has already identified China Roads and Bridge Corporation to undertake the construction, attracting the wrath of the residents.
The consultants for the project are the APEC-CDRC consortium.
Eng Stanley Kaguongo from APEC said the line will traverse the median of the Ngong Road Reserve.
He said the move is meant to ensure that not much private land is touched.
The use of Ngong's road median is also aimed at avoiding traffic conflicts.
Kaguongo said the line, which will be raised in some areas up to 5.5 meters, will have four stations.
Augustine Mwenda, from CDRC consultants, said the project will see some of the trees cleared.
He said the trees would be planted as part of compensation.
Mwenda said the project will avoid, as much as possible, the buildup areas.
He, however, said between 7 and 15 private parcels will be affected by the project, adding that those affected would be compensated by the state.
He said a baseline study for air pollution will be conducted to inform decision-making.
Some residents were, however, up in arms, saying there was no need to bring diesel powered engines that were being dumped in other countries.
The residents were, however, not convinced by the explanations given by the authorities.
“The proposed project was commissioned in 2023. What do you want us to do? Endorse an illegal project?” Prof Charles Maranga posed.
Maranga said the contractor is already at the site, adding that the consultations were in bad faith.
After the heated engagements that lasted almost two hours, Kerow said he was not happy at how residents blasted authorities.
Kerow decried what he termed the choice of words against state officials.
He was, however, urged by residents to always say the truth.