| Work Detail |
According to Kenya Railways, the first phase of The Nairobi Railway City’s construction work has already begun. Phillip Mainga, managing director of Kenya Railways, said that the underway works include establishing a footbridge across the Nairobi Railway Yard, a new Nairobi Central Railway station, and a public square.
In addition, the railway station and public park site will be hoarded and secured. The Nairobi Railway yard will also undergo a thorough drainage overhaul, a new structural steel locomotive shed will be constructed (the CXR Sick shed) at Makadara Yard, and the old shed will be relocated at Nairobi Yard. Finally, the driveway and car park at Kenya Railways Headquarters will be paved.
The modern, all-weather pedestrian footbridge that traverses the Nairobi Railway yard will be convenient for those who have disabilities, he continued. In order to prevent any incidents, he also recommended that rail commuters and pedestrians use the designated pathways as they enter and exit Nairobi Central Station.
The completion of the Nairobi Railway City project, which is being implemented in phases, is scheduled for 2030. The initiative is funded by both the Kenyan and British governments.
Scope of the Nairobi Railway Project
The Nairobi Railway project, which would cost Sh27.9 billion, was developed by the UK firm Atkins Global. It was unveiled by the UK Prime Minister’s G7 and G20, Sherpa Jonathan Black.
During the ceremony, the government also disclosed that it is negotiating for up to Sh220 billion in UK Export Finance for Kenyan projects, with the new central station likely to be the first to benefit. UK Deputy High Commissioner Julius Court, Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohammed Badi, National Treasury Director for Public Investment Management Stanley Kamau, and Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga also attended the ceremony.
The proposed station is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s larger Nairobi Railway City revitalization proposal, which the UK government backs. It aims to reconstruct 425 acres of central Nairobi in order to relieve congestion and boost economic growth. The Nairobi Railway City, according to the Court, is a flagship project in the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, which was agreed upon by President Kenyatta and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the Africa Investment Summit in 2020.
According to Chris Crombie, Design Director for Atkins, the Nairobi Railway City is a very important showpiece project in the heart of the city and the entrance to East Africa. Crombie stated that the railway city project would help the Kenyan government generate jobs as well as green and sustainable infrastructure that promotes rehabilitation. The Nairobi Railway City is anticipated to be a world-class, climate-resilient project that will provide transportation capacity to support future expansion and establish the groundwork for a Green City of the Future.
President Uhuru and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson originally agreed on the arrangement two years ago in London. At Sh17.6 billion, railway infrastructure will take the lion’s share. The first phase contains the Central Railway Station as well as a business complex with two 5,000-square-metre buildings.
Background
In October 2019 the Government of Kenya announced plans for the construction of a US $270m mega city. Draft plans for the “Railway City” that will see the expansion of Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) have already been released thus paving way for project implementation.
The Nairobi Railway city masterplan
Dubbed the Railway City Masterplan, the 425-acre project is expected to be completed in the next 20 years in three phases. Aside from the main station area, it will also contain a residential area and business hubs.
Railway infrastructure will gobble a huge chunk of the project at US $169m followed by water supply and construction of roads and pavements that will take US $38m and US $19m respectively. The draft plans describe it as a “multi-modal” hub in the CBD that will guarantee “seamless connection” among commuter rail, three Bus Rapid Transits, airport limousine city bus, and non-motorized transport such as bicycles.
“The Nairobi Railway City will include multi-modal transit stations, mixed-use or commercial buildings, international offices, small and medium enterprise clusters, and high-tech industry buildings,” said Transport Principal Secretary Charles Hinga.
Other facilities will include residential buildings, community and government buildings, open spaces and plazas, and powerful non-motorized and pedestrian walkways. “Such a diverse urban program will generate a 24-hour dynamic city,” added the PS. The project expects to ease congestion on Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Avenue, and Landhies Road.
Kenyans will be expected to give their views on the project in the next sixty days before the plans are finalized. |
