Nairobi, Kenya — Explosive allegations have emerged placing the Managing Director of Kenya Railways Philip Mainga and Principal Secretary for Lands, Nixon Korir, at the centre of what is now being described as one of the most brazen public land and compensation frauds in recent memory.
A petition filed at the Milimani High Court by activist Francis Owino has laid bare a sordid tale of deceit, betrayal, and blatant abuse of office in the acquisition of land for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project in Embakasi, Nairobi. At the heart of the scandal is the compulsory acquisition of 74 acres of community land, originally set aside for the Dupoto/Dafur Settlement Welfare Scheme, a community-based organisation legally occupying the land since 2010.
Owino alleges that the Kenya Railways Corporation, under the stewardship of its current Managing Director, conspired with senior government officials, rogue lawyers, and politically connected figures to divert Sh2.75 billion in public compensation funds, money that was legally intended for the rightful landowners, many of whom are low-income Kenyans.
According to the court documents, the scandal was executed through a carefully orchestrated series of moves, beginning with the unlawful replacement of the community’s legal representatives. Without notice, vote, or even the semblance of due process, the previously appointed Letangule & Co. Advocates were pushed aside in favour of Johnson & Partners LLP, a law firm led by Johnson Osoi, who is also named as a respondent in the case.
This manoeuvre, the petition claims, was facilitated by none other than Principal Secretary Nixon Korir, who allegedly colluded with corrupt scheme officials to push through fraudulent land surrenders. Of particular concern is the alleged illegal transfer of 38 acres of the remaining 93 acres, land that had not been earmarked for acquisition, without any consultation or compensation to the members.
The court filings assert that a further 55 acres were secretly sold, with no agreements or disclosures provided to the affected community. Kenya Railways, according to the petition, facilitated these sales and proceeded to disburse Sh2.75 billion, ostensibly as compensation, yet not a single cent reached the intended beneficiaries.
Instead, the funds were allegedly funnelled into a murky network of law firms and politically connected individuals, including Moinket & Co. Advocates, Kemosi Mogaka & Co. Advocates, and Nick Ndeda & Associates.
One of the most shocking revelations is the alleged involvement of Narok South MP Sylvester Ntutu, who reportedly received Sh250 million despite having no formal connection to the land or the CBO. Owino claims Ntutu falsely presented himself as acting on behalf of the President to silence dissent and consolidate control over the transaction process.
“This is looting at an industrial scale,” said Owino. “Ntutu invoked the name of the Head of State to defraud citizens. That’s not just unethical, it’s criminal.”
The role of the Managing Director of Kenya Railways is especially damning. As the head of the institution directly responsible for both the acquisition and disbursement of public compensation funds, his office cannot feign ignorance. Either through wilful neglect or active complicity, the MD is accused of failing to ensure transparency, accountability, or legality in a transaction of immense public significance.
It is alleged that not only did Kenya Railways process the land purchases through dubious legal channels, but it also sanctioned the flow of funds to unauthorised recipients, bypassing both the law and the affected community.
The petition seeks full restitution of the stolen Sh2.75 billion, criminal investigations into all parties involved, and the nullification of all illegal land transfers. More broadly, it is a stark indictment of the state of public governance, raising serious questions about the rot within Kenya’s land and infrastructure sectors.
If proven true, these revelations will underscore a horrifying truth: that public institutions meant to facilitate development and uplift communities have instead become instruments of grand theft, manned by elites who answer to no one, except their own pockets.
