Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday, June 21, revealed a plan to build a mega-conference centre at the Green Park Terminus after failed attempts to transform it into a bus park.
During an interview on JKLive, Sakaja highlighted the immense potential of the capital city to thrive as Africa's leading hub for conferences, drawing parallels to the remarkable Ksh9.8 billion Kigali Convention Centre.
Furthermore, Sakaja emphasized that such a development would not only entice a greater influx of investors into the capital but also substantially enhance the country's revenue collection.
In pursuit of this vision, Sakaja noted that he had approved an exit of the expressway into the CBD, ultimately facilitating easy access to the conference centre.
"Picture this, you land in Nairobi from abroad and in five minutes, you exit the expressway into the centre. There is a mall and other facilities. That is something we're exploring to do under Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). People have expressed interest to build hotels in the conference facility," he noted.
Additionally, the governor shed light on the shortcomings of the Green Park terminus, highlighting that it occupies a valuable five-acre parcel of land.
The governor noted that the original plan of the parcel did not include provisions for a bus terminus, resulting in the inability of the now defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to effectively establish and operationalise the bus park.
"The Green Park terminal is the most prime piece of land in East Africa (5 acres in the CBD). It was not supposed to be a bus terminal. All of the trials that have been tried even during NMS time failed.
"For long-distance vehicles, it looked like it could work until the interference. I sat down with my team and pointed out the flaws. I have already approved an exit of the expressway into the CBD. This will be the capital of conferencing," he noted.
Moreover, the governor revealed that the European Investment Bank had already allocated funds to support the project, a decision that received Cabinet approval in order to revive the initiative. He emphasized that this undertaking would play a pivotal role in alleviating traffic congestion within the county.
"Investors are coming in. We had a meeting with European Investment Bank who pointed out that they had all the money approved for the construction of five BRT lines from Simba, Kifaru, Thika, and Waiyaki Way going all the way to Magadi Road.
"What was missing is refreshing the cabinet approval for this. I told the Cabinet on Friday, they passed it. My team is in Paris, France securing the funds for that project," he pointed out.
Sakaja noted that the solution for the traffic mess in the CBD was to fast-track the stalled Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project.
Additionally, the governor issued a stern warning to taxi drivers who disregarded the regulations pertaining to designated pick-up and drop-off points, cautioning them that they would face legal action.
"We agreed on designated spots for pickups or taxi drop-offs. If you are dropping or picking up somebody at an undesignated area and are arrested, it’s not harassment; it’s enforcement. There must be order," he noted.
Green Park Terminal
The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) allocated a budget of Ksh250 million for the construction of the Green Park matatu terminal, with work commencing in November 2020. The terminal had originally been scheduled to open by March 2022, but its progress was hindered by several unsuccessful test runs, leading to delays and ultimately the suspension of its opening.
The primary objective of the Green Park matatu terminal was to alleviate traffic congestion within Nairobi's central business district (CBD) by serving as a hub for long-distance public service vehicles from various regions, including Western and Rift Valley.
