(proposed Nairobi Expressway; image credits-- Standard Media)
The government of Kenya officially launched the Nairobi Expressway project on October 16th 2019; a road project intended to link JKIA to James Gichuru Road, Westlands. This is an 18.5 KM stretch that is planned to free the traffic issues currently experienced on the existing A8 road.
This project is packaged as a Public-Private Partnership project between Kenyan government and CRBC, although this has otherwise been argued by professionals. Professionals argue that CRBC, being a state corporation in China, the partnership with Kenyan government makes the project a G-G project.
The expressway is estimated to cost over KSH 60 Billion, inclusive of a 4.2 Billion for land acquisition and some 3.8 Billion for relocation of services.
The Design of the Expressway
The road is a four lane dual carriageway with several sections elevated above ground, on concrete pillars.
Role of Kenyan Government and Value for Money
The government of Kenya will handle land acquisition, relocation of services, oversight and tax waivers among other roles in this project. The cost of this on the Kenyan end seems quite manageable at this stage of the project, although it is prudent to check the long term cost-benefit analysis, in order to satisfactorily judge the viability.
The developers will operate the road and recoup their investment together with profits before handing it over to Kenya by 2049, and beyond this year they have to be paid. This makes the contract a take-or-pay and Kenya shoulders all the risk.
Tolling Fee
As communicated by KENHA in a public baraza organized by Architectural Association of Kenya, a consultancy body was engaged to conduct a study in 2015 in regard to tolling and possible fees if this is to be applied. The study report proposed Ksh. 6/pcu/km, but this has been revised to Ksh 11/pcu/km. A small car like a Toyota Vitz is regarded as 1pcu.
A deeper analysis of this, just considering a small car for a user who travels the whole stretch of the expressway, each day the user will spend Ksh. 600 to and fro. If this user goes to work 20 days a month, he will spend Ksh 12000 as tolling fees for the month.
Expected Benefits
The primary benefit expected from the expressway is to free the A8 of the traffic currently experienced. This would obviously be a very great achievement, since the road has had traffic issues for years. There are however fears that this strategy may not be the most effective in freeing traffic. How about if we considered other urban design strategies including smart technology in managing the traffic? The income tax worth USD 371.3 Million will be raised by government from this project. This is a benefit to Kenya in a way since this is significant revenue.
In another perspective however, this income tax would better be waived, since this cost is finally going to be transferred to the common Kenyan.
Affected Areas and Buildings
A number of buildings fall along the route planned for the road. These premises include Saj Ceramics, Next Gen Mall, St Paul’s Chapel, CCFC and others. KENHA has however affirmed that no major buildings will be demolished in this process.
Part of Uhuru Park that would be affected by slicing 23m for a stretch of 300m, was however reviewed in the planning after the public outcry that emphasized the park as the main green square in the City of Nairobi, with critical environmental and social impacts in the city.
What are the Concerns?
The project is appreciable, owing to its intention. It however raises more concerns than assurances.
During the public baraza organized by Architectural Association of Kenya on November 6th 2019, a number of concerns were raised by professionals in the built industry. The clarity in the provision for NMT and BRT in this project is a concern that if sorted, would increase its viability. The willingness of Kenyans to pay the tolling fees is also a speculation. Other concerns regarding the project administration are also raised. Firstly, the stakeholder involvement (public participation) came at the advanced stages after the major planning and design stages, rendering the public input insignificant. Secondly, the feasibility study was not satisfactory, since it was carried out and reviewed by the same body. Professionals have questioned the viability of this process. In addition, the costs involved in this project are quite unreasonable, and the inevitable variations during implementation may also impact significantly on the figures.
The Control Mechanism
The existing A8 road will stay as a free alternative to the expressway. Well, this gives users an option between the free but longer route and the shorter toll road (expected to be faster). This will form a control mechanism, giving a chance to people who may not afford the toll fees. A question however still stands; what population shall this expressway really serve?
Thank you so much for this insight about the expressway. Islts very educative.
This article provides several details of what this Expressway entails. These details are important and should be made known to Kenyans
Thanks for the detailed information about the expressway, how I wish that newspapers were as clear as this is.
Thank you for this... Kindly consider taking photographs for future reference 📸(if possible) Visit the site once in a while and take pictures
Thank you Sharon for the suggestion. That will be helpful for follow up.
Very insightful information...spoken with a lot of clarity...keep it up.I can't wait for the next article
Great insights there, does the road have any impact on the value of real estate in the area?
Thanks Moses. Yes, it does impact on the real estate value in the area. Both positively and negatively. This touches on the prices of property around.
This is very insightful! Thank you
Thanks for the insightful information. Keep us updated on the developments of the same.
This is a great piece. Handy to the general public.