NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY

BY: JIMMY KIARIE

 PROJECT BACKGROUND
• THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY PROJECT IS A 27.1KM ROAD
PROJECT BEGINNING FROM MLOLONGO THROUGH
THE JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (JKIA)
AND NAIROBI’S CBD TO WESTLAND’S AREA ALONG
WAIYAKI WAY.
• THE OVER US $560M ROAD PROJECT IS THE FIRST
MAJOR PROJECT NOT ONLY IN KENYA BUT ALSO IN
EAST AFRICA TO BE CARRIED OUT THROUGH A PPP
MODEL.
• THE PROJECT IS UNDER BUILD OPERATE TRANSFER
CONTRACT
PROJECT LOCATION
 PROJECT REASONS
• UPON COMPLETION, THE ROAD IS EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCE THE TIME SPENT ON MOMBASA ROAD AT RUSH HOUR FROM
APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MINUTES.
• THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY IS EXPECTED TO CREATE 3000 JOBS
DURING CONSTRUCTION AND 500 JOBS IN ITS OPERATION PHASE.
THOUSANDS OF MORE JOBS WILL BE CREATED THROUGH THE
TRICKLE DOWN EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT.
• THERE WILL ALSO BE THE OPTION OF USING BUS RAPID TRANSPORT
(BRT) WHICH WILL EQUALLY REDUCE CONGESTION BY AT LEAST 50
PER CENT .
• BRT WILL COMPLEMENT THE EXPRESSWAY AND FURTHER REDUCE
CONGESTION BY ENCOURAGING PRIVATE CAR OWNERS TO USE
BUSES INSTEAD.
• BRT WILL RUN FROM THE ENTIRE STRETCH FROM ATHI RIVER TO
JAMES GICHURU ROAD.
 PROJECT DETAILS

• THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY WILL HAVE A FOUR-LANE AND

SIX-LANE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY WITHIN THE EXISTING
MEDIAN OF MOMBASA ROAD, UHURU HIGHWAY, AND
WAIYAKI WAY
• IT HAS 10 INTERCHANGES.
• BYPASS TO JAMES GICHURU WILL BE A FOUR-LANE DUAL;.
THE SECTION BETWEEN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
BYPASSES WILL BE A SIX-LANE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY WHILE
THE SECTION FROM TO THE EASTERN BYPASS AND THAT
FROM THE SOUTHERN L CARRIAGEWAY.
• THE PROJECT STARTS FROM MLOLONGO AND
ENDS AT JAMES GICHURU JUNCTION. FROM
MLOLONGO TO CAPITAL CENTER THE ROAD IS AT
THE SAME LEVEL WITH THE EXISTING A8. FROM
CAPITAL CENTER TO JAMES GICHURU, THE ROAD
WILL BE ELEVATED ABOVE THE EXISTING A8.
• THE ROAD IS DESIGNED TO RUN THROUGH THE
CENTRAL RESERVE OF THE A8 (MEDIAN)
• THE ELEVATED HIGHWAY WILL BEGIN NEAR OLE
SERENI HOTEL AND RUN THROUGH THE CBD
ALONG THE UHURU HIGHWAY UP TO THE JAMES
GICHURU JUNCTION.
• HAILE SELASSIE ROAD, KENYATTA AVENUE, AND
UNIVERSITY WAY WILL BE BELOW THE ELEVATED
ROAD.
• PROJECT WILL INCLUDE 18.2KM AT GRADE AND
8.9KM ELEVATED.
 TOLL STATIONS AND FOORBRIDGES
• THE EXPRESSWAY WILL HAVE NINE
STATIONS.
• INTERCHANGES WILL BE BUILT AT
MLOLONGO, SYOKIMAU, JKIA, EASTERN
BYPASS, SOUTHERN BYPASS, CAPITAL
CENTRE, HAILE SELASSIE, MUSEUM HILL,
WESTLANDS, AND THE MAINLINE STATION AT
THE ENDPOINT—ST MARK'S/LION PLACE.
• THERE WILL BE A ROUNDABOUT AT THE
JUNCTION OF ENTERPRISE ROAD AND
MOMBASA ROAD, AND ANOTHER AT THE
JUNCTION OF JAMES GICHURU AND RED
HILL LINK ROAD.
• THE PROJECT WILL HAVE FOUR PEDESTRIAN
FOOTBRIDGES AT MLOLONGO, IMARA
DAIMA, GENERAL MOTORS AND ST MARK'S.
 EXPENSIVE TOLL CHARGES
• THE EXPRESSWAY WILL BE A TOLL CHARGED
HIGHWAY. THE RATES TO BE CHARGED ARE AS
BELOW:
• USERS WILL PAY BETWEEN SH100 AND
SH1,500.THE ESTIMATED TOLL PER KILOMETER OF
THE 27.1-KM ROAD IS SH11.50.THE TOLL RANGES
BETWEEN SH6 AND SH30 PER KILOMETER
DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE VEHICLE. THE
CHARGES WILL DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF VEHICLE
AND ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS.
• MOTORISTS ON LIGHT VEHICLES WITH TWO AXLES
WILL PAY SH100 TO SH300, DEPENDING ON ENTRY
AND EXIT POINTS.
• THOSE ON LIGHT VEHICLES WITH TWO AXLES AND
A HIGH BONNET WILL PAY SH150 TO SH450, ALSO
DEPENDING ON ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS.
 EXPRESSWAY CHARGE
SCHEDULE
• THIS IS AN OLD STATISTIC BUT IN 2007 ONLY 15.3% OF NAIROBI'S
COMMUTERS USED PRIVATE CARS. THE EXPRESSWAY HAS FACILITATED
LOSS OF 2 LANES ON THE MAIN ARTERY FOR A ROAD THAT ONLY
15.3% OF THE CITY IS ELIGIBLE TO USE.
• A MOTORIST DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY FROM AIC MLOLONGO
TO THE STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY, SYOKIMAU, OR EASTERN BYPASS
WILL PART WITH SH160.
• DRIVERS WITH HEAVY VEHICLES WITH FEWER THAN FOUR AXLES WILL
PAY SH400 TO SH1,200.
• THOSE WITH HEAVY VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN FOUR AXLES WILL
PAY SH500 TO SH1,500, DEPENDING ON ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS.
• SOME VEHICLES ARE HOWEVER EXEMPTED FROM PAYING TOLL FEES.
• THESE ARE AMBULANCES, POLICE VEHICLES, MILITARY VEHICLES, AND
OTHERS TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE MINISTRY.
• THE JKIA–WESTLAND'S EXPRESSWAY WILL EARN A PROJECTED
REVENUE OF SH2 BILLION ($20 MILLION) BY 2023, WHICH WILL BE THE
FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION FOR THE ROAD.
 INADEQUACY OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND
CONSULTATION ON THE PROJECT.
• CONCERNS SURROUNDING THE INADEQUACY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
EXPRESSWAY HAS BEEN RAISED.
• THIS HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF A COURT CASE CHALLENGING THE VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT.
• OTHER CONCERNS RELATES WITH THE ISSUANCE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT (ESIA) LICENSE IN THE ABSENCE OF A STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) AND
FAILURE TO CONSIDER NECESSARY FACTORS THAT WOULD SUBSTANTIVELY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT
AND VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT.
 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
• IT IS ESTIMATED 2,500 TREES WERE BROUGHT DOWN
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EXPRESSWAY.
• THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT
AUTHORITY (NEMA) HAS GIVEN THE CONTRACTOR,
CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION (CRBC), UNTIL
THE END OF MARCH 2022 TO PLANT 3,000 ASSORTED
SEEDLINGS ALONG THE 27-KILOMETRE MULTI-BILLION
EXPRESSWAY.
• AT LEAST 13 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TREES WERE LOST
TO MAKE WAY FOR A FOUR-LANE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY
THAT STARTS FROM MLOLONGO TO THE JAMES
GICHURU JUNCTION.
• NAIROBI RESIDENTS TOOK TO THE STREETS ON
OCTOBER 31, TO SAVE THE ICONIC FIG TREE
SITTING ALONG WAIYAKI WAY FROM BEING
UPROOTED TO PAVE WAY FOR THE NAIROBI
EXPRESSWAY.
• "THIS ICONIC FIG TREE WILL BE TRANSPLANTED
AND RELOCATED TO A NEW LOCATION AS PART
OF THE CONSERVATION MEASURES TAKEN.
FINALLY DESIGN CHANGES ENSURED THE TREE
DOES NOT GET AFFECTED.
• THE FELLING OF TREES ALONG WAIYAKI WAY
TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY IS AN ISSUE OF
GREAT CONCERN FOR THE URBAN
COMMUNITIES IN NAIROBI.
• FELLING OF THE TREES MEANS LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY AS WELL REDUCED GREEN OPEN
SPACES.
• TO UPHOLD BIODIVERSITY KENHA SET CONDITIONS TO THE FELLING OF TREES.
• UNDER THE CONDITIONS BY THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT REGULATOR, THE FIRM WILL LEAVE
THE CUT TREES ON SITE FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY HABITATS FOR BIRDS
LIVING IN THE AREAS AND ALLOW TIME FOR THE BIRDS TO ESCAPE.
 DEMOLITION OF FOOTBRIDGES (PEDESTRIAN CROSSING)
• THE EXPRESSWAY AFFECTED A NUMBER OF EXISTING
FOOTBRIDGES ESPECIALLY ON THE MOMBASA ROAD STRETCH.
• SOME WERE SPARED AFTER DESIGN CHANGES WERE MADE TO
INCORPORATE THE FOOTBRIDGES OTHERS WERE DEMOLISHED
TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT DIFFERENT AREAS.
• THE CHINA ROADS BRIDGE CORPORATION (CRBC) ERECTED
BEAMS AT THE KSH 177 MILLION BELLEVUE FOOTBRIDGE AT
SOUTH C, AND SAVED IT FROM DESTRUCTION WHILE
CONSTRUCTING THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY.
• THE ERECTION OF BEAMS AT BELLEVUE AND THE CONSTRUCTION
OF A SHADE HAS ALLOWED PASSENGERS TO CROSS MOMBASA
ROAD WHILE PASSING UNDERNEATH THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY.
• HOWEVER, THE ONE LOCATED AT GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WAS
DEMOLISHED. THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF THE KSH 185 MILLION
GM FOOTBRIDGE WAS CONSTRUCTED USING STRUCTURAL
STEEL MEMBERS WHICH CAN BE REASSEMBLED AND REPURPOSED
AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
DISREGARD TO PEDESTRIAN MODE OF TRANSIT
• TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXPRESSWAY THERE WAS A
NUMBER OF DEMOLITION OF FOOTPATHS TO
ALLOW FOR THE ON RAMPS TO THE EXPRESSWAY.
• TO URBAN PLANNERS THIS IS A SHOW OF
DISREGARD TO PEDESTRIAN MODE OF TRANSIT.
• THE MECHANISTIC DESIGNS OF ROADS WITH
DISREGARD TO HUMANITY IN DESIGNS CAN BE
SEEN FROM SUCH ACTS.
• THE EXPRESS WAY IS CHARACTERISED WITH LACK
OF PAVEMENTS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
LOSS OF PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS
• THIS IS ESPECIALLY ALONG UHURU PARK WHERE
THE ONCE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY HAS BEEN
TAKEN UP BY THE EXPRESS WAY.
• URBAN SPACE BELONGS TO THE PUBLIC ACTING
AS A GENERATOR OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
INTERACTIONS.
• BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS DEFINE HOW TO USE
SPACE. THEREFORE, A SUCCESSFUL URBAN
DESIGN IS BASED ON HOW IT FULFILLS HUMAN
VALUES.
• WITH A RISE OF MOTOR VEHICLES, SEPARATION
OF PEDESTRIAN PATH FROM VEHICLE IS
INEVITABLE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PEDESTRIANS
SAFETY.
• THE DISREGARD OF THE SAME IS HARMFUL TO
ESPECIALLY PEDESTRIAN WALKS.
 TRAFFICK SNARL-UPS

• THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION HAS SEEN AN ACUTE RISE IN

TRAFFFIC SNARL-UPS ESPECIALLY ALONG MOMBASA ROAD.
• THE CONSTRUCTION WORKS WAS LIMITED TO THE CENTRAL
MEDIAN OF MOMBASA ROAD. HOWEVER, IN SOME INSTANCES,
IT WAS REQUIRED TO CLOSE A SINGLE LANE ON EITHER SIDE OF
THE HIGHWAY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MOTORISTS PLYING
THE ROUTE
• JKIA TURNOFF - CABANAS, NEXTGEN MALL- CAPITAL CENTRE
AND KENYATTA AVENUE - UNIVERSITY WAY ROUNDABOUT.
 FEASABILITY CONCERNS
• THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED QUESTIONING ON THE
FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT.
• THIS IS ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE MATERIAL USED IN
THE CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS OFTEN TERMED AS A
CONCRETE JUNGLE.
• PEDESTRIANS WERE NOT FACTORED IN THE DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CARRIAGE WAY.
COST CONCERNS
• THE VARIATION OF COST FROM THE INITIAL
ESTIMATED 65B TO THE CURRENT PROJECTED 88B
RAISES EYE-BROWS.
• THE PROJECT FEELS TO BE AN EXPENSIVE ENDAVOR
THAT WOULD NOT RETURN CONSUMERATE TO THE
COST OF CONSTRUCTION.
• THIS GOES EVEN WITH THE GOVERNMENT
DEFENCE OF THE PROJECT BEING NON-TAXPAYER
DIRECT IMPLICATION.
• THE REVENUE LOST WITH DEMOLITION OF SOME
FOORBRIDGES HAVE ALSO BEEN A BORNE OF
CONTENTION.
• THE ONE LOCATED AT GENERAL MOTORS (GM)
WAS DEMOLISHED.
LOSS OF SCENENIC VIEWS

• THE NYAYO HOUSE SPECTACLE FACADE ENJOYED BY MANY

WHILE BASKING AT UHURU PARK HAS BEEN DWARFED BY THE
NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY.
• DUE TO ITS ELEVATED CONCRETE STATUE THE EXPRESSWAY HAS
AFFECTED MUCH MORE VIEWS OF THE CBD FROM THE
ADJOINING BUSINESS HUBS.
EXPRESSWAY BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM
• THE PROGRAM WITH SEE THE SPRUCE
UP OF THE EXPRESS PILLARS WITH
BEAUTIFUL LUSH COLUMN OF PLANTS
AND FLOWERS.
• IT IS SET TO LEAVE A PICTURESQUE
AMBIENCE AKIN TO THOSE SEEN IN
AMSTERDAM, EUROPE.
• SET TO BRING MORE COLOR TO THE
CITY.
• CONCERNS ABOUT THE COST OF
MAINTAINING OF THE PLANTS HAS
BEEN BROUGHT UP.
• XEROSCAPING WOULD HAVE BEEN A
BETTER ALTERNATIVE.
RELOCATION OF HIGH VOLTAGE CABLES
• FOR A PROJECT LIKE THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY WHOSE
ALIGNMENT RUNS THROUGH THE HEART OF NAIROBI, THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT INVOLVES A RIGOROUS
PHASE OF THE RELOCATION OF SERVICES.
• A SECTION OF THE ROAD PROJECT INTERSECTS HIGH
VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY CABLES WHICH MUST BE SAFELY AND
EFFECTIVELY RELOCATED TO GIVE WAY TO THE SMOOTH AND
TIMELY COMPLETION OF WORKS FOR THE NAIROBI
EXPRESSWAY.
• THE EXERCISE WILL INVOLVE RELOCATION OF 106 KILOMETRES
OF HIGH VOLTAGE (106 KV), MEDIUM VOLTAGE (11KV) AND
LOW VOLTAGE CABLES AND 28 TRANSFORMERS SERVING THE
AREA.
• THE COST OF RELOCATION OF THESE SERVICES WERE MAINLY
MET THROUGH THE EX CHEQUER WHICH IS TRANSLATES TO
PUBLIC POCKETS.
 CONCLUSION
• THE PROJECT IS A POLITICAL PROJECT IN ESSENCE. IT HAS A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT CAN BE FAULTED IN
ITS OVERALL EXECUTION.
• THE OVERALL RETURN IS YET TO BE SEEN AS THE PROJECT RUNNING IS TO COMMENCE.
• QUESTIONS SURROUNDING PROVISIONS OF PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGES AND WALKWAYS ON THE NEW
NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY STILL LINGER.
• FOOTBRIDGES ARE CRITICAL FOR EASING THE BURDEN ON OUR WALKING POPULATION.
• FURTHER THE NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY WILL EXACERBATE A HUGE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVIDE GIVEN
THAT A MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS USE MATATUS TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK. THE QUESTIONS REMAIN
OVER WHETHER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE TOLL FEES TO USE THE HIGHWAY.
 REFERENCES

• ONYANGO, PROTUS. “NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY TROUBLES NOT OVER YET.” THE STANDARD, 13 OCT. 2020,
WWW.STANDARDMEDIA.CO.KE/NAIROBI/ARTICLE/2001389921/NAIROBI-EXPRESSWAY-TROUBLES-NOT-OVER-YET.
• REPORTER, BIZNA. KENYANS TO REPAY PRIVATE FIRM FUNDING NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY DAILY FOR 30YRS. 19 AUG. 2020,
BIZNAKENYA.COM/NAIROBI-EXPRESSWAY/. ACCESSED 29 MAR. 2022.
• “NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY PROJECT UPDATES.” CONSTRUCTION REVIEW ONLINE, 2 AUG. 2021,
CONSTRUCTIONREVIEWONLINE.COM/BIGGEST-PROJECTS/NAIROBI-EXPRESSWAY-PROJECT-TIMELINE-AND-ALL-YOU-NEED-TO-KNOW/.
ACCESSED 29 MAR. 2022.
• MWANGI, IRENE. “NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY OPERATOR ADVERTISES 38 JOBS AHEAD OF PLANNED COMPLETION» CAPITAL NEWS.” CAPITAL
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IN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF NAIROBI EXPRESSWAY. E. AFR. LJ, 82.
• ODOTE, C. (2019). PROTECTING UHURU PARK AS A PUBLIC OPEN SPACE: OPTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS. E. AFR. LJ, 23.