This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
Published on June 19, 2020, the Court of Appeal's ruling has sparked controversy over the procurement process of the SGR project.
Activist Okiya Omtatah had petitioned the court to declare the project illegal, citing concerns over the government's disregard for procurement guidelines.
A three-judge bench found Omtatah's concerns to be substantiated, ruling that the Kenya Railways Corporation had failed to comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005.
The court's decision was a major victory for Omtatah, who had argued that the project's design and supervision services were duplicated, resulting in a loss of $110 million (approximately Sh11 billion) to the public.
However, the government had maintained that the project was of benefit to Kenyans, citing its success in ferrying over two million passengers and an average of 30 freight and four passenger trains since its inception in 2017.
The ruling has significant implications for the SGR project, which has been a cornerstone of the government's infrastructure development plans.
