Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, James Macharia, on Wednesday, October 30, announced that the government had revised the Nairobi Expressway plans.
Initially, the new highway set to run from Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road in Westlands, Nairobi was to cut across Uhuru Park.
However, according to a report by Citizen Digital, the CS announced that under a newly revised plan, no section of the recreational park would be hived off to accommodate the Ksh59.9 billion highway.
The move comes after a massive uproar over the original plan to cut through a 23-metre stretch of the park.
The detailed plan signed by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, dubbed the Development of Nairobi Expressway Project, triggered a countrywide discussion, with the majority demanding for the protection of the park.
China Roads and Bridge Company (CRBC) - that was awarded the contract to build the 27km road, is expected to operate the highway independently from 2023 to 2049.
The proposed development is mainly aimed at decongesting the traffic flow in Nairobi.
Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna on October 24 stated that the government has set aside Ksh8 billion to go towards compensating the affected private landowners.
He went on to reveal that the 23 meters that were to be hived off would be used to put up pillars that would support the elevated road. Upon completion, the section would have furniture, flower beds and other amenities that would enable Kenyans to continue enjoying the park.
Properties to be possibly affected included; Next-Gen Mall, Khalsa Primary School, parts of the Railways Club, St Pauls University of Nairobi Catholic Chapel, Military Camp and National Persons with Disabilities plots in Westlands, a section of the grand plan disclosed.
