A legal petition has been filed in Kenya's High Court challenging the planned expansion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu and onward to Malaba. The project, estimated to cost between 500 and 650 billion Kenyan shillings, has been awarded to the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The petitioner, Michael Kojo, argues the project lacks a proper feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, and public participation, raising concerns about transparency and value for money for taxpayers. The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of major infrastructure deals under President William Ruto's administration.
The Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba line is intended to extend the SGR from the Rift Valley to the border with Uganda, improving regional trade links. However, the project's high cost and single-source procurement to a Chinese firm have drawn criticism and comparisons to the debt burden of the initial Mombasa-Nairobi line.
The court's decision on the petition could significantly impact the timeline and execution of this key infrastructure agenda. The government has previously defended the project as essential for economic growth.
