The Kenya Railways has put encroachers on notice warning that their structures will be demolished.
The Acting Managing Director Philip Mainga yesterday in a statement urged all encroachers within railway reserve to
vacate immediately.
“The encroachment of the Railway Reserve Land has posed several challenges to our operations. Our safety standards are compromised resulting in derailments alongside other challenges which include delays and vandalism,” he said.
Mainga's warning come a few days after Airgate Centre (formerly Taj Mall) was demolished.
The building was demolished for encroaching on road and railway reserve.
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The green excavator arrived at the Sh 5.5 billion mall along the Outering road at 6.30
am
on Saturday.
Mainga said the building was
hindering railway operations.
"The building which has encroached about 15 m of the railway reserve poses a great risk to railway operations since, it among others, interfered with the drainage system along the line. On many occasions, especially during the rainy season, Kenya Railways has had to suspend train operations on the line due the poor drainage,"he said.
Mainga said : "We will soon
publicize all encroachers who have continued to occupy the railway reserve through residential and commercial establishments’ owner occupied and tenant occupied buildings, religious, educational and health institutions with no legal title or ownership rights."
He informed the public who may be occupying
cooperation's land with or without prior knowledge, that it is criminal.
"Anyone found violating this law is liable to imprisonment for a period of up to 10 years as per the Kenya Railways Corporation Act. Being a transmission line, the Railway is covered by the Way Leaves Act which forbids any businesses hindering operations on the way leave,"he said.
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