Kenya is gearing for a revamp of the Nairobi Central Railway Station after the United Kingdom (UK) released designs of the new-look station.
In a statement by the UK High Commission in Nairobi dated Tuesday, January 18, the redesign of the railway station was requested by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his trip to London in January 2020.
The project is being handled by UK firm Atkins Global in association with the Nairobi-based Howard Humphreys which specialises in project designs. The two firms have long standing engineering and project designs reputations.
The redesigned station is part of the a flagship project to reinvigorate the Nairobi’s Central Business District.
"UK firm Atkins Global has been appointed to design Nairobi’s new Central Train Station and associated public realm, which will provide the centre-piece of Nairobi Railway City.
"It is a flagship project to regenerate Nairobi’s Central Business District initiated by President Kenyatta, who personally requested UK support when he met Prime Minister Boris Johnson in January 2020," read the statement in part.
In the new designs, the station will occupy an expanded land mass and will host modern shades and a glass-built waiting bay.
It will also have a market place, local heritage, covered sitting area and a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) section. A percentage of the area will also be covered by trees.
UK Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, speaking during the relaunch of the British International Investment (BII), currently known as CDC Group, noted that the partnership between the two countries was poised to deliver better results.
“Our economic partnership is delivering impressive results, and we have some ambitious, exciting, plans for the future. Plans that will deliver for Kenya, and for the UK, long into our shared future.
“We will continue to build on this economic partnership by focusing on infrastructure through the Build Back Better World initiative. Launched by G7 leaders in the UK last summer, this initiative will provide honest, responsible, and sustainable finance to meet infrastructure development needs around the world," she stated.
Howard Humphreys, which has partnered with the UK to deliver the project, has a portfolio of luxury projects it has handled in Nairobi.
They include a terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as well as Two Rivers mall among others.
