Gov’t revises Nairobi expressway design to avoid taking up Uhuru Park land

The government has revised the design of the Nairobi Expressway project to ensure no land is hived off Uhuru Park following public uproar.

The 27 kilometre dual carriageway is set to run from Mlolongo all the way to James Gichuru Junction in Westlands and was set to take up land from Uhuru Park for construction of exit and entry ramps, a plan that triggered uproar.

However, in a statement issued Wednesday evening, Transport CS James Macharia said the design of the expressway has now been optimised to ensure that no land will be taken from Uhuru Park.

“We all recognise that Uhuru Park is an important public park and is one of the remaining parcels of green areas within Nairobi CBD that needs to be preserved for posterity, and further to ensure the environment is maintained in pristine condition,” reads the statement.

Construction of the project was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on October 16, 2019.

According to CS Macharia an elaborate Traffic Management Plan will be put in place to ensure safety and minimal disruption to the road users during construction of the expressway.

“The current existing A8 Road will still be open and available to the road users as the contractor works on the median,” said the CS.

“The Traffic Management Plan will continuously be reviewed and improved during the construction period to ensure safety and improved road user experience.”