Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway Haile Selassie Exit Plaza launched
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works, Kipchumba Murkomen, on Saturday, January 20, presided over the launch ceremony of a new exit road on the Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway.
The five-lane exit road aims to give motorists easy access into the central business district and also reduce traffic congestion.
Murkomen was joined in launch ceremony by the General Manager of the Kenya Office of China Road and Bridge Construction Corporation (CRBC) Yuan Chunkun, the Chief Executive Officer of Moja Expressway Company Ltd Steven Zhao, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Roads and Transport Joseph Mbugua, and the Director-General of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Kungu Ndungu.
Construction of the Haile Selassie Exit started in July 2023 as part of the Kenyan government’s quest to ease traffic into the CBD.
“The value of this expressway was being under utilized because of the exit that was far away from the Central Business District (CBD) and Harambee Avenue which is the heart of the government offices,” said Murkomen.
(Left to right on red carpet) Principal Secretary for Roads and Transport of Kenya Joseph Mbugua, Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works Kipchumba Murkomen, CEO of Moja Expressway Company Ltd. Steven Zhao, and Director-General of the Kenya National Highways Authority Kungu Ndungu. (Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen/X)
“This infrastructural adjustment, which has been completed within five months, signifies the responsiveness of Moja Express to public demands and their readiness to work with the Government in expanding Kenya’s infrastructural network,” he added.
The minister further affirmed the Kenyan government’s readiness to continue collaborating with both local and international investors and contractors to roll-out more infrastructure projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The 27-kilometer partly elevated Nairobi Expressway is Kenya’s first toll road, constructed through a Public-Private Partnership between the Kenya National Highways Authority and China Road and Bridge Corporation with MOJA Expressway Company as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and Operator. The construction and operations of the Nairobi Expressway has provided numerous job opportunities for Kenyans since its launch in July 2022.
Murkomen congratulated the Nairobi Expressway led by the Moja Expressway Company for constructing the Haile Selassie exit within five months.
In a statement, the Moja Expressway Company said the toll road currently serves about 65,000 motorists on weekdays, with more than 200,000 users subscribed to the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) service.
The company further noted that the Expressway has reduced travel time from the business hub of Westlands to the main Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from 2 hours to 20 minutes, relieved traffic congestion along the non-toll road, and improved emergency response times.
The Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works said that Kenya was exploring more possibilities of constructing another Expressway under a similar PPP project owing to the success of the current one.
