Kenya is set to complete upgrade of roads in Nairobi informal and densely population settlements by December this year. Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia inspected the ongoing works and said the project is 40% complete with 104 kilometers fully tarmacked.
“The government is keen on completing the 408 kilometers of tarmac roads before end of year. 60% of the works are remaining, having fully tarmacked 104 kilometers of the road,” said CS Macharia.
The upgrade of roads in Nairobi project was launched in November last year but contractors began actual works in January this year. The Government is also building new tarmac roads in Kangemi, Mukuru, Kibra, Mathare, Korogocho, Dandora, Githurai, Roysambu, Kasarani, Dagoretti, Kangemi, Kawangware, among other areas. The road works entails the upgrading of the roads to bitumen standards under the informal settlements program and is being done by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura).
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Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project
The upgrade of roads in Nairobi project aims to improve accessibility and service delivery and to provide employment opportunities to local youth. On March 18, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to undertake slum-upgrading initiatives in the city. In Nairobi, an estimated 1.5 million people live in informal settlements, roughly 60% of the city’s official census population of 2.5 million.
“I have discussed with General Badi on the status of these roads and agreed on how they can be rehabilitated to standard roads that residents can walk on without getting muddy during the rainy season,” said President Kenyatta.
The government in collaboration with the World Bank, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and French Agency for Development (AFD) came with an initiative dubbed “The Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (KISIP)” which focuses on improving living conditions in existing informal settlements by investing in infrastructure and strengthening tenure security.
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