Design error? Mlolongo station remains unused despite prime location

In the fast-growing suburb of Kathangaita, Mlolongo, a peculiar sight greets train passengers every day at a railway station built far from the very trains it was meant to serve.

The Mlolongo Railway Station, part of the Lukenya commuter line, is a shell of what was promised. It stands tall and unused, like a forgotten monument.

While trains still stop nearby, commuters can’t actually use the station. Why? Because it was built wrong from the start.

At first glance, the station looks impressive: a clean, raised platform with modern finishes. But behind that polished exterior lies a logistical nightmare.

The platform is more than 10 meters away from the railway line. It’s also elevated too high to align with train doors.

So, every morning and evening, passengers are forced to jump down onto gravel from the train's narrow stairs.

There are no ramps. No proper paths. Just bare ground and the awkward climb down or up for those who use it.

“We thought we would be getting a proper station like in Syokimau. But what we got was this staircase from nowhere,” says Mark Cerullo, a frequent train passenger.

The station has remained in this strange state since its completion.

According to multiple residents, the issue stemmed from a surveying and design error during construction. Yet, instead of being corrected, the project was simply left as-is.

“It’s like they built this thing just for show. We have to jump every day like we’re boarding a moving truck,” says Duncan Munyao, who boards the train daily.

Now, the station looms pointlessly above the tracks, disconnected from its purpose, as though it were built for a different line or a different reality altogether.

Despite being located in one of Nairobi’s busiest and fastest-developing residential corridors, the Mlolongo station remains unusable.