NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 4 — Plans for an underground mass transit system in Nairobi have moved a step closer to implementation after securing approval from the Nairobi County Government and backing from the national government.
The proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System (NMMRTS) is intended to provide the capital with a high-capacity public transport network aimed at reducing chronic traffic congestion and cutting travel times across the city.
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Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja says the project has progressed beyond being another transport proposal, with the county and national governments now working on its financing and implementation framework.
The underground railway concept has appeared in successive Nairobi development plans stretching back decades, including city planning frameworks dating to 1948, 1972 and 2014.
Sakaja said the latest effort had now received approval from the Nairobi City County Executive Committee as well as support from President William Ruto.
The proposed system is expected to form part of a wider mass-transit network linking some of Nairobi’s most heavily travelled residential and commercial areas.
Eastlands, CBD and Westlands among areas targeted
Under the current proposal, the first phase is expected to establish a core mass-transit corridor connecting Eastlands with Nairobi’s Central Business District before providing connections towards major employment and commercial centres including Westlands and Upper Hill.
Later expansion is expected to extend the network towards the Ngong Road and Lang’ata Road corridors.
The development would represent a significant shift in Nairobi’s public transport system, which currently depends heavily on matatus, buses, private vehicles, boda bodas and a limited commuter railway network.
Rapid population growth and increasing vehicle numbers have continued to put pressure on major roads leading into and out of the CBD.
The proposed underground network is intended to move significantly larger numbers of passengers without requiring additional surface road capacity.
Transit-oriented development proposed
The metro proposal also incorporates transit-oriented development around stations.
Under the model, commercial, residential and other developments would be concentrated around major stations, potentially generating additional economic activity while contributing towards financing the transport system.
Locations for proposed stations have been identified, according to the county government, although detailed station locations, construction timelines, passenger fares and an opening date have yet to be publicly finalised.
A legislative framework is also expected to define the respective roles of Nairobi County, the national government and private investors involved in the project.
The proposal has received renewed political momentum after President Ruto backed the project in July following a presentation involving the Nairobi County Government and national transport officials.
However, the project still faces the considerably more difficult stage of translating political approval, financing proposals and technical studies into construction.
For Nairobi commuters, the development is nevertheless significant because an operational underground railway would fundamentally change movement between residential areas, the CBD and major employment centres.
Until construction contracts, financing arrangements and implementation dates are formally confirmed, however, the Nairobi metro remains a proposed transport system rather than an operational project.
