Capital City Residence Files Case to Stop the Construction of JKIA-Westland’s Expressway

Two residents from the Nairobi City 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 and  transparency, openness, involvement of the people and public participation, ” reads court papers.

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

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.

If an injunction is given, it is going to worsen the relationship between the two arms of government namely: Judiciary and Executive.

Earlier this month during a report on state of judiciary, the president lamented on how courts give injunctions to stop government project without paying close attention to the subject matter.

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

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

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.

If an injunction is given, it is going to worsen the relationship between the two arms of government namely: Judiciary and Executive.

Earlier this month during a report on state of judiciary, the president lamented on how courts give injunctions to stop government project without paying close attention to the subject matter.