Taxpayers pay Sh1.2bn to shift water, sewer lines from Nairobi expressway path
The ongoing construction of Nairobi Expressway to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, along Mombasa Road in this picture taken on November 8, 2020. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG
Taxpayers have spent Sh2.1 billion to relocate water and sewerage lines along Kenya’s first-double decker highway.
The revelation was made in estimates of the supplementary budget tabled before Parliament Tuesday.
The money will be spent on Northern Collector— the line supplying water to Nairobi from Murang’a County and the James Gichuru Express Road sections, underling the hidden costs of constructing Kenya’s first double-decker highway.
Taxpayers have spent Sh2.1 billion to relocate water and sewerage lines along Kenya’s first-double decker highway.
The revelation was made in estimates of the supplementary budget tabled before Parliament Tuesday.
The money will be spent on Northern Collector— the line supplying water to Nairobi from Murang’a County and the James Gichuru Express Road sections, underling the hidden costs of constructing Kenya’s first double-decker highway.
Taxpayers are also spending Sh1.1 billion to foot relocation of electricity lines along the 27.1-kilometre highway that is currently under construction.
Construction of the Nairobi Expressway is at 15 percent with Transport Secretary James Macharia saying that the project is ahead of schedule and will be completed before December next year.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in October last year launched construction of the road that is set to link the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is constructing the expressway that is being financed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The private company funding construction of the Nairobi Expressway will operate the road for 27 years to recoup funds spent in the project before ceding it to the State.
Motorists using the lower section of the double-decker highway would, however, be spared the toll charges.
The toll charges will be kept in a special fund to finance maintenance of the highways and repayment of other roads built by private contractors but fail to generate enough funds to pay investors due to low number of users.
The Nairobi Expressway involves a four-lane and six-lane dual carriageway within the existing median of Mombasa Road/Uhuru Highway/Waiyaki Way and 10 interchanges.
The road is upon completion expected to reduce the heavy traffic gridlocks on Mombasa Road.
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