State kicks process to turn railway station iconic nerve centre

NAIROBI, KENYA: The plan to modernise Nairobi Railway station into an ultra-modern part of the city is on top gear with bidders expected to submit their proposal on August 20.

The station area will be developed into an iconic nerve centre for the Nairobi multimodal transport system with a new central station incorporating mixed-use commercial developments, housing, and intermodal facilities.

In a notice, State Department for Housing and Urban Development said the total area of the project is 425 acre and will be the largest and most ambitious development to be undertaken in Nairobi metropolitan region since independence.

A sneak preview into the plan indicates a cultural centre, a knowledge industry to be undertaken in conjunction with the Technical University of Kenya, hotel, convention, top tier office, and working zone, a new commercial community centre, and high tech industry with Small and Medium Enterprise cluster.

The project forms part of the core strategy for the regeneration of Nairobi City and the area has been designated as a special planning area in line with physical and land use and a project of strategic national importance.

The Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) came into existence on March 18 when the deed of transfer of functions signed between Governor Mike Sonko and the State came into effect.

Under the deed, the four county functions of health, transport, planning and management, and public works and ancillary services were transferred to the national government.

The outfit has been credited for its work on transforming different aspects of the city.

In an interview last month, the general painted his scorecard as work in progress with major wins so far.

“There were large heaps of garbage in a majority of the areas in the county. It was a huge task because we started off with limited resources together with NYS. From a 1000 collection per day, we have managed to boost it up to over 2500 tonnes collection per day. We have also managed to clear all the garbage that was heaped in various areas for almost seven months before we took over,” said Major Badi.

Earlier in the year, several litter bins within the Central Business District had been overturned with litter flowing all over, seemingly workers were frustrated by the system. Major Badi now says that everything is under control.

“I would assume non-payment to these contractors made them leave their work because their bills had accumulated and this frustrated a lot of Nairobians. We concentrated on government agencies and were able to have a multiagency effort in clearing the garbage and now we only do the normal cleaning.”

“Although progress is still underway, it will take about three to six months for Nairobians to feel the complete change,” he said.