Two senior officials of the Kenya Railways Corporation were today found guilty of contempt of court after they allegedly orchestrated the demolition of business premises linked to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, in direct violation of explicit interim orders issued by the Environment and Land Court.
Justice Oscar Angote ruled that Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga and Acting Corporation Secretary Stanley Gitari deliberately disobeyed orders granted on March 11, 2026, which prohibited any interference with the disputed property pending the full hearing and determination of the case.
The court heard harrowing evidence of how, despite the subsisting orders, bulldozers moved in and razed structures on the contested land along Douglas Wakiihuri Road near Nyayo National Stadium. The affected businesses, a popular car wash, carpet cleaning facility, restaurant, and car yard operated by Superclean Shine Enterprises Limited and King Prime International Limited, were reduced to rubble.
In a decision delivered this morning, Justice Angote held that the actions of the two officials amounted to a clear and wilful disregard of judicial authority. Angote further summoned Mainga and Gitari to appear before the court on June 25, 2026, for mitigation and sentencing. The pair now face the prospect of hefty fines, imprisonment, or both.
Additionally, Justice Angote directed that the interim orders issued earlier this year remain in full force as the main suit proceeds, effectively halting any further works on the site until the dispute is conclusively resolved.
The contempt proceedings were triggered by a petition filed by the two companies after the dramatic overnight demolition that took place in January 2026. Governor Wamatangi, whose company Superclean Shine Enterprises had occupied the prime parcel for more than two decades under a lease arrangement with Kenya Railways, described the operation as “an act of cowardice” and politically motivated.
According to court documents, the companies had rushed to court late last year after receiving verbal threats of eviction. They secured the March interim orders precisely to protect their investment while the larger dispute over tenancy rights and compensation was litigated.
Kenya Railways, for its part, has consistently maintained that the land forms part of the railway reserve and was needed urgently for critical infrastructure upgrades. The corporation is racing against time to complete projects, including a new station near Nyayo Stadium and a commuter rail link, in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027, which Kenya will co-host.
Officials at the corporation had argued that proper notices were issued to all encroachers and that the demolition was part of a wider, non-selective reclamation exercise along Nairobi’s railway corridors. However, the court found that once the interim orders were served, any continued activity on the site constituted contempt.
