President Kenyatta says the Nairobi Expressway will be completed and officially launched in March 2022.
The president made the announcement during an extensive inspection tour of the 27.1-kilometer dual carriageway which is currently 93 percent complete.
Kenyatta, who was accompanied by Infrastructure CS James Macharia and Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director-General Lt. Gen. Mohamed Badi, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the eight-lane elevated super highway.
Speaking to the press, the president indicated that Nairobi was changing and would be a 21st-century city with significant projects impacting the lives of its residents.
“To date having started last year. We have done so many roads in our inner cities, over 420 km of roads have been done in Mathare, Kibera, Mukuru and other in many other places. To ease transport for the many people living in these areas,” he said.
“And the difference being occasioned by the road building, by the drainage being put in, by the sewage being put in. I do believe that within another two years Nairobi will be truly a 21st-century city catering for its people in a positive manner befitting our people.”
At the same time, Kenyatta expressed gratitude to China for supporting the construction of the road and other major infrastructure projects in the country.
“A lot of people have told us that our relationship with China is not beneficial. To them we say come, let them see a project like this. Let them see the project we have in Lamu; let them see the one we have to reduce the cost of petroleum in Kilindini and the various projects we have done to ease the life of Kenyans,” he said.
The U$560 million highway is the first major project in the country to be carried out through a Public-Private Partnership [PPP] model.
This road begins from Mlolongo through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Nairobi’s CBD to Westland’s area along Waiyaki Way.
Upon completion, the road is expected to significantly reduce the time spent on Mombasa Road during rush hour from about two hours to between 10 and 15 minutes.
