This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
The Nairobi Expressway, a major infrastructure project, is now ready for construction. According to Transport Principal Secretary Paul Maringa, all hurdles on existing infrastructure have been dealt with.
The 27-kilometer expressway will not interfere with Uhuru Park, as previously feared. Motorists using the road, which is expected to be completed in the next three years, will pay a toll of 300 shillings directly to the project financier.
As part of the government's efforts to leverage on Public Private Partnerships to construct major infrastructural projects, the Nairobi Expressway will be the first such road with levies collected from users going directly to Chinese financiers as return to investments for the next 27 years.
The toll centers will be strategically placed along slip roads and fully automated to facilitate easier payments. The existing Mombasa road and Uhuru highway will still be in use as a toll-free option.
The government has played down the cost of the expressway, saying the project is cheap compared to other roads done in the country considering the quality and terrain to be navigated.
The Nairobi City BRT system has been rescheduled to commence with the opening of the Nairobi Expressway in the next two years. Other major roads set to be financed under the PPP model include the Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway and the Nairobi- Nakuru Mau summit highway.
