Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Photo | courtesy.
A group of 184 landowners from the Dupoto/Dafur Settlement Welfare Scheme in Embakasi, Nairobi, has filed a petition in the High Court, alleging that Sh2.75 billion earmarked for land compensation in the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project was misappropriated.
The petitioners claim that only Sh250 million reached them, with the remaining funds allegedly diverted to unauthorized law firms without their consent.
The lawsuit names Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir and Narok South MP Kitilai Ole Ntutu among the officials accused of orchestrating the embezzlement.
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The landowners assert that the compensation was intended to be disbursed through their chosen law firm, Letangule & Co. Advocates, but was instead funneled through other firms, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
Many of the petitioners reportedly took loans in anticipation of receiving their compensation, leaving them in precarious financial situations when the funds failed to materialize. They are now seeking the High Court’s intervention to halt any further disbursement of the compensation funds until a thorough investigation is conducted.
This case adds to the ongoing scrutiny of the SGR project’s land acquisition process, which has previously faced allegations of irregularities and mismanagement. The petitioners hope that the legal proceedings will bring transparency and justice to the compensation process.
