Kenya Railways Managing Director (MD) Philip Mainga is once again on the spot for allegedly selling properties belonging to the state corporation.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei on February 12, 2025, called for the arrest of Mainga.

Speaking on the floor of the senate, Cherargei called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to move with speed and arrest Mainga, whom he says has turned Kenya Railways into a crime scene.

“Kenya Railways must be called to order. The Managing Director should be suspended. Kenyan Railways is now a crime scene and I want to challenge the new EACC, instead of arresting traffic police officers who are collecting Ksh50, Ksh200, they should be going for this big fish…They should be going for these whales that are destroying the image of this country. Why borrow more billions of the SGR yet the Kenya Railways turnaround can be done for the benefit of this country,” Cherargei said as Senators cheered.

Dossier against Kenya Railways MD Philip Mainga

The lawmaker insisted that someone at Kenya Railways must be prosecuted, noting that the Senate Committee to invite him probono, claiming that he has a better dossier against the Kenya Railways MD and the management.

“I want to ask the committee to invite me probono. I have a more better dossier against the MD and the management of Kenya Railways that will shock this country,” Cherargei said.

“Kenya Railways has a huge potential. The current Managing Director and the management of Kenya Railways must be called to order and in fact the EACC should be on this. Some of us are aware that the management have been selling properties that belong to Kenya Railways and the worst thing is that they have been evicting people who have leases. Why would you give someone a lease and then evict them? What is the justification?”

Philip Mainga’s controversies

Philip Mainga has previously been on the spot over the irregular allocation of hundreds of acres belonging to Kenya Railways to individuals and companies through questionable leases in the last few years.

A whistleblower’s report which was handed to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in 2023 says that Mainga has for instance caused the loss of over Ksh400 million to Kenya Railways through the leasing of Kenya Railway’s land in Makongeni, Nairobi.

“He did this with the full knowledge that Kenya Ports Authority had taken over the property in October 2018 without formal handing over,” the report said.

“The property was being used by Kenya Railways to earn Sh23 million a month and to date, KR has lost over Sh400 million in form of transport of containers to the ICDN,” the report added.

Mainga is also accused of leasing out KR land in September 2018 to Taff International under the pretext that the board had in January 26, 2018 approved this lease.

The MD also approved the lease of five acres belonging to Kenya Railways to Harvest International for 15 years on October 2, 2018. While issuing this particular lease, Mainga through a letter of offer claimed that KR board had in their 410th meeting on September 26 approved this lease.

“Given that the land is in an operational zone, he failed or ignored to check with the relevant department whether leasing of the land will conflict with the current or future railway operations,” the report said.

Other companies that are said to have benefited from the irregular leases include Kokotoni Investments, Mapset Maritime ltd and Multiple Solutions Limited.

The Managing Director is also accused of occasioning the subdivision and leasing of Siwani Estate in Nakuru, Sleeper Press Land, Athi River Logistics Hub and the Nairobi South Hub.

All these subdivisions and irregular leases are said to have been done with the full knowledge of senior officials at the Transport Ministry in the last government who chose to look the other way.

Kenya Railways is already on the spot over the alleged irregular allocation of more than 544 parcels of public land to individuals.