This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Published on November 1, 2019, the Nairobi expressway project has been revised to avoid cutting through Uhuru Park and other historic sites.
The original design would have seen the Sh62 billion road cut through the park and the historic papal dais at the University of Nairobi, triggering a new wave of compensations worth over Sh4.1 billion.
Infrastructure Principal Secretary Paul Maringa said the road's design had been altered to minimize damage on iconic facilities and lessen compensation payouts.
"Not an inch" of Uhuru Park will be hived off, Maringa assured, speaking during an engagement with the Kenya Editors Guild in Nairobi.
The four-lane dual carriageway will run over 27km, linking Mlolongo and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The project, which was recently commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta, will take three years and commercial operations will run for 27 years.
Motorists will not be forced to use the expressway to collect toll fees, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said.
