How the Expressway will affect property owners along its path

The ongoing construction of Nairobi Expressway Road along Mombasa Road. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Several property owners along Nairobi’s Mombasa Road face eviction as the government moves in to construct the Nairobi Expressway Road.

Nairobi Railways Club is the latest premise to be ordered by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to vacate within eight hours or face eviction.

The club is among other property owners which include Doshi Holdings Limited, Valmo Limited, Kenya Railways Cooperation, University of Nairobi, Kipsirgoi Investment Limited, The Kenya Police Sports Association, Simba Colt Motors Limited who were ordered to vacate and pave way for the construction of the 27.1 Km project.

In a Gazette Notice issued on March 12, 2020, the property owners were ordered by National Land Commission Chairman Gershom Otachi to vacate.

“In pursuance of the Land Act, 2012, part VIII. The National Land Commission on behalf of Kenya National Highways Authority gives notice that the Government intends to acquire the following parcels of land for the construction of Nairobi Expressway Road Project,” read part of the Gazette Notice.

KeNHA says a presidential order has been issued to the same effect in which the owners will lose the property.

The Commission has, however, not explained how compensation of the affected persons will take place.

“Plans of the affected land may be inspected during office working hours at the National Land Commission, Ardhi House, 3rd Floor, Room 305, 1st Ngong Avenue, Nairobi,” it read.

The Constitution says, “At least after 30 days after publishing the notice of intention  to acquire land, the Commission shall appoint the date for an inquiry  to hear issues of property and claims of compensation  by persons interested in the land.”

The ongoing construction of Nairobi Expressway Road. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Sh62 billion project, which was started late last year, is expected to revolutionalise transport in Nairobi and ease traffic jams on Mombasa Road by providing faster, reliable, and less costly transport.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia says the traffic jam on Mombasa road costs the country millions of shillings in fuel and wasted time and the expressway will ease that.

It will be Kenya’s first road to be tolled under public-private participation and will see motorists take 20 minutes to drive across the city from Mlolongo to Rironi near Limuru, through Westlands.

In a normal flow of traffic currently, it takes two to three hours to cover the same stretch.

The Expressway begins at Mlolongo to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi’s CBD and ends at Westlands along Waiyaki Way.

KeNHA says the road project is unique in Africa and that much of the materials, labour and professional expertise being sourced locally.

The route will have two traffic lanes in either direction and will feature 10 interchanges, with a considerable portion of the expressway being elevated.

The interchanges will be at Mlolongo, SGR terminus, Eastern and Southern bypasses, Capital Centre, Haille Selassie, Museum Hill, The Mall - Westlands and James Gichuru Road junction.

Sections of the Expressway will feature eight, six and four lanes based on projected traffic. Its primary objective is to decongest Nairobi Metropolitan.

The Expressway is expected to serve at least 25,000 vehicles per day with a user expected to pay Sh600 per day to use the road.

Clarification:

Next Gen office suits Limited will not be affected by the ongoing Nairobi Expressway construction as earlier reported.