Nairobi City has been ranked among the bottom 10 in a survey released in November which took into consideration various aspects of life in the city.
According to the Expat City Ranking 2020 by Internations, the largest global expatriates network, Nairobi’s transportation system was ranked 66 out of 66.
More than 50% of the expatriates involved in the survey ranked Nairobi’s transportation negatively.
“The road infrastructure is not good in Nairobi, so getting around can be difficult,” a British expatriate criticised.
In terms of quality of life, Nairobi was ranked second last (65), while on health and environment the city was ranked 64th.
Kenya got a reprieve when the city’s leisure and climate were named at position 15 but lost points for personal safety, with about 46 percent of foreign workers in the country claiming dissatisfaction with the security in Nairobi.
The negative elements combined to give the city an overall position of 62 out of 66.
Multinational organisations use the report to consider locations for opening new business locations, meaning it has a bearing on foreign direct investments.
This report comes as the Nairobi Metropolitan Services seeks to return the city to its lost glory after taking over core functions from the Nairobi City County Government.
To address the transportation challenges, NMS has revamped the Nairobi Commuter rail to provide an alternative means of transport and avoid heavy traffic.
Decongestion in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) is also a priority area for NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi who is working on a phased ban of matatus from the CBD.
Roads in the CBD and various estates are also undergoing repair and upgrading after the launch of the Kangundo Road Asphalt Plant which is able to produce enough material to recarpet up to 3km a day.
The implementation of Nairobi’s transport infrastructure upgrade is being spearheaded by NMS Transport Secretary Engineer Michael Ochieng'.
Before being moved to NMS, he worked at the State Department of Transport and Public Works.
He is also in charge of the development of non-motorised transport network in the CBD which favours walking and cycling over driving around the CBD.
The majority of street parking spots are now being replaced by pedestrian walkways and cycling lanes.
Engineer Michael is also heading the implementation of the upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which will provide an alternative mode of transport from matatus.
The process to decongest the city will be a true test for NMS boss Badi and Engineer Ochieng' since all past efforts to keep matatus out of the CBD have failed.
