Sakaja, Murkomen plan to revive the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system
The stalled Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that was meant to ease traffic congestion in Nairobi will soon be revived following an agreement between Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The two met on May 19, 2023, and discussed ways to end traffic congestion in Nairobi.
Traffic snarl ups remain a major challenge for the county and the country with the challenges mainly caused by the state of roads, increase in the number of cars and indisciplined drivers.
In the meeting, Murkomen assured Sakaja the government was keen to fast track the construction and implementation of the project.
The CS for Transport has now said that BRT will play a big role in improving transport systems in Nairobi.
Governor Sakaja said that he and the national government are committed to making traffic congestion a thing of the past in the city and its environs.
“Efficient, affordable and reliable mobility is key to unlocking the potential of our people,” said Governor Sakaja.
The project, which started on along the Thika Highway, has stalled, with sections built to be pick-up and drop-off points left to rust.
According to the initial plans of former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, the project was supposed to have started in July 2023.
According to then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Charles Hinga, the project was only delayed because of building materials, which he said were being manufactured in a factory.
“Most of it is being done in a factory because it’s a steel fabrication, we’re not doing it on the road,” PS Hinga said last year.
The fate of the project, which was supposed to be the pride of Nairobi alongside the busy Nairobi Expressway, is now at the mercy of the current government.
The meeting between Governor Sakaja and the Transport CS also comes amid cases of floods being experienced in major roads whenever there is heavy downpour.
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