President Kenyatta forms Sh4.5bn urban transport system for Nairobi
Millions who work in the city dwell in neighbouring towns including Ngong, Kikuyu, Thika and Mlolongo.
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It is presumed that bus lines and a commuter rail system linking Nairobi to parts of Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Murang’a would cost Sh4.5 billion.
Key of the mandate of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA), formally established through President Uhuru Kenyatta’s executive order, is to ease traffic flow. The order is also set to eradicate congestion in the fastest growing city.
“The authority shall formulate a sustainable integrated public transport strategy based on the development of a sustainable urban mobility plan that will be the basis for the orderly and structured development of the proposed metropolitan area mass-transit system, which incorporates both bus rapid-transit and commuter rail,” a statement from State House reads in part.
The milestone alluded to by the President Uhuru has been informed by the fact that millions of people working in Nairobi live in satellite towns including Mlolongo, Athi River, Thika, Kitengela, Rongai and Ngong.
Funding
KfW, a Frankfurt German government-owned development bank, is expected to provide the funding for the mega project while the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) will offer the technical capabilities.
In the previous discussions about the authority, it was suggested that the mass rapid transport system will be rolled out between 2017 and 2021, with other estimates placing the budget at Sh2.4 billion – including the cost of acquiring the battery-powered buses. Kenyatta’s order was the first in a long chain of approvals for the authority.
“The authority, as established by the Head of State’s Executive Order, is an interim measure pending the enactment of a Statute that will establish a fully-fledged authority with expanded powers and a broader mandate,” State House said yesterday.
Nairobi metropolis has experienced rapid growth over the last three decades, running ahead of transport and other critical infrastructure including water and sewerage systems.
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