The county contributed Sh 900 million, while KURA paid a total of Sh 1.9 billion to finance the first phase. Photo/CFM-FILE.
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 12 – Nairobi County is set for a major infrastructure facelift with Sh1.5 billion expenditure earmarked for development of roads during the 2019/2020 financial year.
The county administration on Wednesday committed to fast-track the completion of pending road projects following a consultative meeting with Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).
The projects are aimed at decongesting the capital and ease movement within estates through the rehabilitation of access roads.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said his administration will disburse the Sh 1.5 billion set aside for road development to Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) by July for the second phase of the Nairobi Regeneration Programme.
The first phase of the project mainly focused on the upgrade of roads in Nairobi’s Eastlands area and city center, where the road network was in a poor state.
The county contributed Sh 900 million, while KURA paid a total of Sh 1.9 billion to finance the first phase.
Speaking at a city hotel following the Wednesday stakeholders’ forum, Sonko said his administration will continue to collaborate with national government agencies uplift the roads network in capital city.
“We need to stop politicizing the construction and rehabilitation of roads in Nairobi. We have to partner with KURA and KeNHA to ensure all roads are done to our standards. My administration cannot do it alone,” said the Governor.
He said plans are in place to build a viaduct from Wakulima Market through Landi Mawe to Mombasa Road to ease traffic congestion in the area.
During the meeting attended by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and KeNHA Director General Eng Peter Mundinia, the stakeholders also agreed to hasten the upgrade of Langata road to Magadi highway into a dual carriageway.
The section to be expanded includes the ever busy 27km Bomas-Kiserian-Corner Baridi Road.
The 14km Bomas-Karen-Dagoretti Market Road has also been earmarked for elevation.
“The proposed road expansions from Bomas to Ongata Rongai, to Kiserian and onto Kona Baridi, together with the other road from Bomas, Karen to Dagoreti Market are all very important for the sustainable development of Nairobi. The Nairobi City County Government recognizes that transport-oriented development is the only way we can build a resilient city, capable of the providing services to the ever-growing population,” Sonko noted.
Macharia stated that the dual carriageway from the Bomas of Kenya to Kiserian will reduce traffic and make travel enjoyable.
“The proposed Bomas-Kiserian-Corner Baridi Road starts at Bomas of Kenya, runs in a south westerly direction through Ongata Rongai, passes through Kiserian and terminates at Corner Baridi area in Kajiado,” he stated.
Sonko and Macharia said the national and county government will collaborate to ensure the 28km express highway bridge connecting Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with Kangemi market on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway is launched in a bid to tackle traffic congestion.
The two appealed to those who have encroached on the road reserve along the proposed express highway to start demolishing their structures to pave way for the construction of the road.
“Nairobians are particularly eager for the start of construction of the road from JKIA to Kangemi area, whose funding has already been secured. This particular project is the single initiative that will have the biggest impact of reducing traffic jams in the city centre,” Sonko stated.
Sonko assured Nairobi residents that his administration is working round the clock to fix the hitches experienced in a new parking system introduced by City Hall on Monday.
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