This archive report was first published on 4 May 2021.
On Tuesday, Tanzania President Samia Suluhu arrived in Kenya for a two-day state visit, but her journey to State House was not without its challenges. The President and her entourage were forced to use the Southern Bypass to avoid the notorious traffic on Mombasa road.
According to reports, Suluhu's motorcade took the bypass, then proceeded to Lang'ata road, Mbagathi road, and finally accessed State House. The 10km journey from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the bypass junction was a significant detour, with motorists using alternative routes such as the Industrial Area, Jogoo road, or South B route.
The traffic congestion on Mombasa road is attributed to the ongoing construction of the Nairobi Expressway, a 27-kilometre project from Mlolongo to the James Gichuru Junction in Westlands, which is expected to cost the taxpayer approximately Sh65 billion. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, as stated by the Ministry of Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia in February.
President Suluhu's state visit comes at a time when Kenya and Tanzania are seeking to strengthen their ties in trade and people-to-people relations, including in the private sector, arts, culture, wildlife, tourism, and bilateral cooperation. The visit is also a significant milestone in the two countries' efforts to move beyond the strained relations during the tenure of the late President John Pombe Magufuli.
