Construction of a Bus Rapid Transit project in Kasarani, Nairobi County is on track. Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport (NaMATA) Authority CEO Francis Gitau confirmed the report and said Engineers working at the site have also commenced on building an administration block.
“We are on course for piloting on Thika Road. The infrastructure is being done, especially the demarcation of the corridor and the establishment of a bus park‚” said CEO Gitau.
NaMATA was established by President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 9, 2017. It covers Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, and Murang’a counties. The authority is mandated to establish an integrated, efficient, effective, and sustainable public transport system. Mr. Gitau said this will be a reliable mode of commuter transport planned to decongest the central business district, ease transport woes, reduce travel time as well as reduce air pollution.
NaMATA projects
Already, five corridors have been identified by authorities to decongest Nairobi roads. The corridors are to be marked in red lines. Line one is to run from James Gichuru Road-Waiyaki Way to JKIA, a distance of 20km. The 31-km line two will run from Lang’ata Road to Ngong Road, Juja Road, Komarock Road to Ruiru with major stops at Dandora, Kariobangi, and Gikomba Market. Line three will run from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD, terminating at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The government floated the BRT tender, saying it intends to improve the Thika Superhighway infrastructure to accommodate the project. The project will be carried out in two phases under one contract. The first section will be between Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD, while the second phase will start from Clayworks to Ruiru. At Kasarani, the maintenance block that can accommodate 10 BRT buses at the same time and expected to be completed by eight months is underway.
