Petition filed seeking to stop JKIAWestlands expressway construction

Two Nairobi residents have moved to court seeking court orders to have the implementation and construction of the JKIA–Westlands expressway stopped on grounds that there was no public participation.

“The project as it stands is founded on an illegality and contravenes the fundamental principles and national values of the constitution of Kenya of transparency, openness, involvement of the people and public participation,” reads court papers.

The two petitioners, Rhoda Aoko and Henry Shitanda, claim that the design negotiations, structures and planning was done in secrecy and in an opaque manner and without the involvement of the members of the public.

They further claim that on November 21, 2019 they wrote to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) inquiring about the project and requested them to conduct public participation and involve the people but there was no response given to them by the Authority.

The project was launched three months ago by President Uhuru Kenyatta and is to be implemented by KeNHA.