Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Communications Director Philip Etale has hit out at Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina for her criticism of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension from Naivasha to Malaba.

Taking to his official X account on Monday, March 23, 2026, Etale accused Maina of double standards after she raised concerns about the cost and viability of extending the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, warning that the project could saddle taxpayers with unsustainable debt.

In his response, Etale acknowledged that Kenyans would indeed shoulder the financial burden of the railway project but argued that this was not unique to the SGR.

Past infrastructure developments

He pointed to past infrastructure developments, including the Thika Super Highway, noting that taxpayers funded it despite ongoing debates about its economic returns.

“Hon. Njeri Maina, I agree the taxpayer is going to bear the burden… but wasn’t it the same taxpayer that paid for the Thika Super Highway?” Etale posed.

Etale further accused the legislator of being selectively critical, suggesting that opposition to major infrastructure projects intensifies when they are perceived to benefit certain regions.

He warned against what he described as politicising development, adding that leaders should support national projects regardless of regional considerations.

“Wacheni kutubeba mafala. When it comes to Western Kenya, you become too noisy,” he said.

Njeri Maina’s SGR criticism

Etale’s remarks come moments after Maina raised concerns over the planned extension of the SGR project.

Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Monday, March 23, 2026, Maina questioned the economic viability of the SGR project and warned of a potential debt burden on Kenyan taxpayers.

She further cautioned that large-scale infrastructure projects have historically been vulnerable to corruption and inefficiencies.

“Unfortunately, a lot of these infrastructure projects are used as a conduit for corruption. What concerns me is that the Kenyan taxpayer is going to incur debt in regard to this, and we have heard Museveni talk about the volume of how much we are exporting. Is it actually going to match up in terms of competition when you compare road transport vs the SGR?” Maina questioned.