Sh5.8bn facelift for informal settlements set to begin
The Sh5.8 billion project to upgrade more than 400 kilometres of roads in Nairobi’s low-income neighbourhoods is set to begin before the end of this month.
Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) will manage the project. Kura Director-General (DG) Silas Kinoti said the works begin next week.
The project, he said, is at the planning stage, with mapping of areas where the roads will be built ongoing, as well as clearing of identified corridors.
The DG said that so far, a number of informal settlements have been mapped in readiness for the project that will involve upgrading of the roads to bitumen standards.
“We’ve so far mapped Kawangware, Riruta, parts of Dagoretti North, Mathare, Kangemi, Mukuru slums, parts of Githurai 44 and 45, Mwiki and Zimmermann, among others,” Mr Kinoti said.
ROAD UPGRADE
Kura Corporate Communication head John Cheboi noted that, surveying of where the corridors are being identified and marked to show the affected residents how far the roads will stretch, so they can open up the corridors, is ongoing.
“We’re also talking to people on the ground through many national government agencies, Nairobi Metropolitan Services and Nairobi County government, showing them where the roads are going to extend to so they can voluntarily open up the area before contractors come on site,” Mr Cheboi said.
Upgrade of the 408 kilometres of road, according to Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, is one of the measures being undertaken to improve access in the informal settlements.