Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is seeking to demolish Nairobi’s Wakulima Market to construct an ultra-modern road.
The road to be constructed is an overpass that will connect Enterprise Road to the city. The overpass also known as a viaduct will be constructed atop the Nairobi Railways yard to ease traffic along Mombasa Road.
Images from the proposed road indicate that it will have a bridge over it to link other roads. Wakulima Market will be demolished in order to create space for it.
[caption caption="Image of proposed viaduct- NIUPLAN Document"]
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In a statement published in the document KURA submitted in February, the market will be relocated to a different area.
“Design of the viaduct will commence after the completion of feasibility study and agreement on the relocation of Wakulima Market,” the statement read.
KURA also stated that the land had been identified and funds already been acquired for the construction from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which will finance the ambitious project.
The engineer in charge of management at KURA, Silas Kinoti on Tuesday noted that this was long-term term plan under the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Masterplan called NIUPLAN.
He added that Muthurwa Estate would be the possible relocation site for Wakulima Market.
“At the same time it is intended to go a long way in expanding the CBD as well as alter permanently the Nairobi city centre landscape and give it a modern look,” he stated.
The Roads Authority has also held talks with the traders from the market, Nairobi county government and the Kenya Railways staff as they would also be affected.
“So far several consultative meetings in the Months of April, May and June 2018 have been held with stakeholders including the Muthurwa Estate Residents as part of the ongoing
Resettlement Action Plan process. These studies are being conducted in compliance with relevant Kenya legislations and JICA Environmental and Social Safeguard Guidelines,” the statement about the project read in part.
KURA is responsible for the rehabilitation and maintenance of urban trunk roads. The parastatal has been in conflict with Kibera residents over the construction of the Ksh2 billion Ngong Road-Lang’ata link road that will see residents displaced.
[caption caption="Outer Ring Road constructed by KURA -Facebook"]
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