Chinese-built Nairobi expressway daily traffic volume hits 50,000 vehicles

NAIROBI -- The Chinese-built Nairobi expressway that stretches from the western side of the city to the southeastern edge of the metropolis currently records an average daily traffic volume of 50,000 vehicles, the operator said on Thursday.

Moja Expressway Company CEO Steve Zhao said in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the motorway has become an attractive mode of transport; between May, when it started trial run, and Dec 1, the total traffic volume of the expressway has exceeded 7.6 million vehicles.

"With the increment in the number of vehicles in the city, we expect daily usage to reach 70,000 by mid-January 2023," Zhao said during the Moja Expressway annual general meeting.

The 27.1-km Nairobi expressway was financed and built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Zhao said at present, the highway has 100,000 users who utilize the electronic toll collection method to access the road, which is equivalent to 68 percent of all users.

He added that the success of the project has inspired confidence for the CRBC to seek other infrastructure projects it can undertake under the PPP model.

He revealed that in order to increase the convenience of road users, the operator of the road will introduce the use of a mobile payment platform, M-PESA, as a method of payment by the end of January 2023.

Joseph Mbugua, principal secretary of the State Department of Roads, said the Nairobi expressway has had a positive impact on the country's economy by decreasing road congestion in Nairobi.

"It is amazing what the road has brought to our country because it has reduced the time spent traveling between the town center and the international airport," Mbugua added.

He revealed that Kenya is looking forward to other partnerships with Chinese firms in the area of infrastructure development through the PPP model.