Nairobi City County Assembly Adopts Non Motorized Transport Policy

The Nairobi City County Assembly has adopted the Non Motorized Transport (NMT) Policy whose objective is to provide a framework for harmonization, prioritization and coordination of NMT infrastructure, facility development and maintenance in Nairobi.

The policy, whose formulation was championed by Kara in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other key stakeholders in the transport sector, was officially handed over to the County Executive in March 2015. Since then, the County Executive and Kara have been working very closely to have the policy adopted by the County Assembly.

http://www.kara.or.ke/index.php/2015-01-22-08-51-09/kara-news/254-transport-nairobi-city-county-assembly-adopts-non-motorized-transport-policy?platform=hootsuite

New measures enforced to ease Nairobi jams

The Nairobi County Government has partnered with the Central Government in a Sh400 million initiative aimed at decongesting the Kenyan capital.

The plan includes elimination of roundabouts and replacing them with signalised junctions on the county’s main roads.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement on Monday, County Transport Executive Abdullahi Muhamed revealed that plans are underway to remove six roundabouts from Kangemi all the way to Mombasa road to eliminate obstruction which cause traffic jams.

He pointed out that there will be no right turns at the Westlands and Bunyala road intersections once the roundabouts are removed.

READ MORE: www.capitalfm.co.ke/news

High speed rail system will raise Kenya’s GDP by 1.5 pc

The modern high speed rail system under construction will raise Kenya’s GDP by 1.5 percent once it becomes operational, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta inspecting a section of the Standard Gauge Railway at Mtito Andei,on January 23, 2015.

The President said the economic benefits of the high speed trains will be massive and the immediate effects will include decongestion of the port of Mombasa that will lead to higher volumes of national and regional trade.

President Kenyatta said the tens of thousands of jobs that will be created by the construction projects and the many more that will be created once the modern rail system becomes operational will bring prosperity for millions of Kenyans. READ MORE: www.kbc.co.ke/uhuru-high-speed-rail-system-will-raise-kenyas-gdp-by-1-5-pc/

3000 km of roads to be constructed

The government of Kenya will construct 3,000 Km of roads during the initial phase of planned construction of 10,000 Km of road networks launched earlier this August.

http://constructionreviewonline.com/2014/10/03/3000-km-roads-constructed-kenya/?utm_source=Construction+Review+Online+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ed620fe816-Construction_Review_Online_Newsletter_05810_3_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2b85ec2ef1-ed620fe816-182896453&ct=t(Construction_Review_Online_Newsletter_05810_3_2014)&mc_cid=ed620fe816&mc_eid=88c90f35f3

Eldoret dual carriage road and bypasses

http://constructionreviewonline.com/2014/09/26/us-90m-dual-carriage-road-constructed-eldoret-kenya/

Plans underway for the construction of Mombasa – Kigali superhighway

Plans are being made by the East African states to see construction of a 1,600km six lane superhighway that will connect Mombasa and Kigali towns.



The project is aimed at reducing pressure on the Northern corridor, amidst antipation of an increase in transit cargo to 44 million tons from the 22.9 million tons currently passing through the port of Mombasa. read more: http://constructionreviewonline.com/2014/07/02/plans-underway-construction-mombasa-kigali-superhighway-kenya/

Nairobi bus plan unstoppable

The Nairobi County Government says it will not be intimidated by cartels in the matatu industry which are out to undermine plans to introduce a mass transit bus system in the city in June this year.

The bus transit system will start with three transport corridors, Athi River town to Kikuyu town, Thika to the Central Business District and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the CBD.

Special bus tracks will be built from Airport Road junction to Machakos and another one to Kikuyu through Waiyaki Way. Two more bus routes will terminate at Bomas and Ruaka towns through Langata and Limuru roads respectively.

It will be funded by a European investor at an initial cost of Sh1 billion which will cover the cost of 200 buses which are to be increased to 378 by 2015 and then 2,000 buses. The projected fixed fares will be Sh30 in all the routes. source: www.capitalfm.co.ke/news

Online cargo clearance portal goes live in May

Kenya’s position as the regional gateway is expected to improve with the launch of an online cargo clearance system next month.

The long-awaited single electronic window, which is to be officially rolled out on May 2 by President Uhuru Kenyatta, is expected to facilitate international and domestic trade at the port of Mombasa, and has been touted as the solution to the persistent delays at the port.

It is expected to reduce the time it takes to process goods through Customs at the port by half — from seven days to three days.

At the country’s airports, cargo clearance time will reduce to just one day from the current five days and at borders, cargo clearance is expected to take one hour instead of two days, sponsors of the  $18 million project said. read more: www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Online-cargo-system-to-boost-Kenya-hub-status

Safaricom Outfits City Buses, Rural Markets to Get Consumers Hooked on Mobile Internet

As young pitchmen shout to potential passengers over blaring music, a graffiti-covered private minibus fills up more quickly than the other dozen in the scrum. It has free Wi-Fi.

The specially outfitted matatu, as the minibuses are known in Swahili, is part of an experiment by Safaricom Ltd. to connect Africa's unconnected, offering a glimpse of what it takes to bring some of the world's most price-sensitive users online.

Once on board, Mwenda Kanyange updates his Facebook status and browses the Web for his hourlong trip home through Nairobi's traffic-clogged streets.

"It gets kind of boring," the 23-year-old college student says, "Wi-Fi is good for that."
read mroe: online.wsj.com/news/articles

End of the line for 'Lunatic Express?' Kenya begins multi-billion dollar railway

(CNN) -- A Chinese-funded railway project in Kenya that could transform transport in east Africa, and strengthen cross-border political and economic ties.

Kenya is known as the region's logistics, trade and transport hub. Yet, its railway dates back to the colonial era and the 300-mile (483 kilometer) journey from Mombasa to Nairobi currently takes 12 hours for passengers -- freight trains take up to 36. The railway is old and large parts of the tracks remain unused, while roads are crowded and traffic is slow.

In November 2013, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new standard gauge railway line in Mombasa that will connect the coastal city with the Kenyan capital Nairobi. "The project will define my legacy as president of Kenya," Kenyatta told local media. "What we are doing here today will most definitely transform ... not only Kenya but the whole eastern African region," Kenyatta said. read on: edition.cnn.com/

The phoenix-like return of Nairobi’s international airport

When east and central Africa’s busiest airport burst into flames last month, it was just the latest in a series of disasters and scandals afflicting Jomo Kenyatta International. But from the ashes came a swift, professional response – and the promise of something new. African travellers, rejoice!

When travelling within sub-Saharan Africa, there’s no way to avoid JKIA. Along with OR Tambo in Johannesburg and Bole International in Addis Ababa, it is one of the continent’s three main aviation hubs, and the busiest airport in east and central Africa. read more: www.dailymaverick.co.za

Tenders for railway line project

image source: www.gvpedia.com

Kenya kicked off the process of the construction of a 500km high-speed standard gauge railway line at the weekend, floating a tender for consultancy services to oversee the design and construction of the project.

The railway line is part of the proposed 820km track that the government intends to lay in the next three years, running from the coastal city of Mombasa to the lake side city of Kisumu.

The first phase of the project will be the Mombasa-Nairobi track, according to the tender document floated by state agency Kenya Railways Corporation.
 read more: www.bdlive.co.za/africa

Modern, Efficient Rail Transport For Kenya and East Africa Region
A key mandate of Kenya Railways Corporation is to promote, facilitate and participate in national and metropolitan railway development. Our objective is to provide modern and efficient rail transport and logistics services for Kenya and the region. read more: www.gvpedia.com/Territories/Kenya

26 New Railway Stations planned for Nairobi

Plans to decongest Nairobi city have gathered steam with the proposed construction of 26 new railway stations in the Nairobi metropolitan area.

The decongestion process in Nairobi area, which will also include the construction of a modern railway line from the city centre to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, will cost taxpayers at least Sh10 billion.

“These stations are part of a wider Nairobi Commuter railway project which aims to build about 26 similar stations around the Nairobi Metropolitan area so that we can provide commuters with an option and work towards easing congestion in the city,” Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) managing director Nduva Muli said on Monday.
read more: buildesign.co.ke/26-new-railway-stations-to-decongest-the-city/

Payment of matatu fare may soon go cashless

The government is reviewing the traffic law to enforce the use of cashless payment in a bid to revamp public transport. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Transport permanent secretary Karanja Kibicho said the ministry is finalising a review of the New Traffic Act 2012 to make way for cashless payment of fares by commuters using a card. Once revised, the law will stipulate how passengers, drivers and conductors using the public transport should conduct themselves on the roads.
read more: www.nation.co.ke/business/news

Equity, Google launch bus fare solution



NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 30 – Equity Bank has teamed up with Google to launch a payment card Dubbed BebaPay, which will provide a quick and convenient way to pay bus fare without the use of cash.

The payment system that allows very small transactions is meant to make commuting easier, orderly, and manageable and formalise the sector.

Speaking at the launch, Equity Bank Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi said that this partnership is in line with the bank’s commitment to continue innovating financial products and services that make it easier and convenient for their customers when they are paying for goods and services.
read more: www.capitalfm.co.ke/business