Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) on Tuesday, March 9, announced changes to the planned construction of 38 roads set to kick off in Nairobi.
Among these changes include: Addis Ababa and Funzi roads have been replaced with Dunga Close road and Shimo la Tewa road.
These roads are part of the lot 4 phase alongside Athi River road and Dakar Road. Dunga Close road, which consists of a 0.17-kilometer stretch, is approximately 3.4 kilometers from Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).
Further, Shimo la Tewa road, often a busy street, consists of a 1.37-kilometer stretch and hosts a number of local businesses and manufacturing companies.
According to the statement, contractors have been given until Wednesday, March 17 in order to submit their tenders to the road agency.
Initially, NMS had issued a tender notice for contractors to take up the job. The road project involved the division of the roads into eight lots.
Lot 1 comprises of Garage Road, Homabay Road, Workshop Road, Pate Road, Dar es Salaam Road, Lot 2: Busia Road, Kampala Road, Lot 3: Gilgil Road, Bamburi Road, Changamwe Road.
Lot 5 consists of Catalyst Road, Machakos Road, Baricho Road, Wundanyi Road, Lot 6: Rangwe Road, Mareba Road, Hola Road, Lusingeti Road, Kitui Road, Lot 7: Migwani Road, Isiolo Road, Bandari Road, Wajir Road, Chogoria Road, Jirore Road, Lot 8: Ndume Road, Nyahera Road, Runyenjes Road, Lokitaung Road, Mogadishu Road.
According to NMS boss Mohamed Badi, the agency is keen on the construction of more roads within the informal settlements. This, he stated, is in a bid to make the roads accessible.
NMS, in February 2021, kickstarted the construction of new roads in Kibera in a bid to make it accessible. The project involves building over 28 kilometers of roads as part of the Ksh5.8 billion plan aimed at upgrading 444 kilometers of access roads across informal settlements in Nairobi Metropolis.
Kibera is considered to be Africa's largest urban slum and the road project, and according to Badi, the constructions will open up the informal settlement area to more business opportunities for the residents.
