A Differing Perspective on the Expressway
- Mahmud Hassan
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 17
The expressway is a 27.1 km dual carriageway that opened in August 2022. Its goal is to ease traffic within Nairobi, hoping to connect Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the CBD and Westlands Area. Since its opening it has been quite popular with many motorists, however over the years it has caused more harm than good to those unable to afford the ever-changing toll prices in Kenya’s rapidly fluctuating economy. The construction of the expressway indicates a major shift in making Nairobi more car-centric rather than people-centric, as will be explained it causes major problems for non-motorists as well as the quality of life for many people in the city. It begs the question whether the 88 billion shilling project is truly sustainable and alleviates traffic in Nairobi, and if not what measures should have been taken to reduce it.
Firstly, although the expressway is successful in connecting two very different areas, in my opinion, it does not help many people in reducing their commute. The expressway only panders to a small percentage of motorists who can afford the toll fees and whose route aligns with that taken by the expressway, thus leaving many Kenyans to use the substandard roads that lie directly beneath it. If only a small subsection of people in Nairobi can use such a road, then what’s the point in investing billions of shillings into it? Another important factor to consider is that the construction of the expressway itself caused much harm to the roads below, particularly on Uhuru Highway and Wayaki Way. The roads are now characterized by potholes, a lack of drainage systems, a lack of proper lanes and congestion making driving on them a nightmare. Not only that, but the expressway caused major roads to be reduced in size, meaning traffic forms quicker than before. Thus, the commute arguably has become much worse and with the number of cars on the expressway sparse as compared to the adjacent roads, it really puts into question its positive impact.
Moreover, according to estimates the most common methods of transport are either walking or commuting via Matatus, leaving only 15% per cent of all commutes travelled by cars. With this in mind, the expressway does not help the majority of commuters but instead makes their lives much more difficult. The construction of the expressway severely affected the walk paths on Uhuru Highway and many other adjacent roads, thus exposing pedestrians to many hazards. You might be wondering what pedestrians have to do with traffic within the city? A lack of safe walk paths and bike paths within these important corridors will incentivise people to work towards affording/buying a vehicle, making traffic much worse within Nairobi’s congested roads. Additionally, people who are unable to afford their cars will be forced to use Matatus which again are unwelcome in the expressway, and an increased number of Matatus within the city’s streets means more congestion. Matatus although act as a form of public transport, are quite unsustainable for the city as they often ignore traffic rules to reach their destination faster, and make driving in the city much more hectic, not to mention the environmental pollution caused by their exhaust pipes.
These factors highlight why constructing roads like the expressway doesn't help alleviate traffic, but instead increases the number of cars on roads. Building such projects, only makes cars more necessary to get around in Nairobi, as it becomes almost impossible to get around without using a vehicle of some sort. Even though nothing can be done about the expressway a more sustainable solution to solve traffic congestion would have been investing in Nairobi’s BRT system along major routes, and current road infrastructure. In doing so, Nairobi would have safe and reliable public transit that would incentivise people to use it instead of investing in other major cities. Moreover, investment in road infrastructure including sidewalks, bus terminals and bike paths would reduce the amount of cars on the road as now people don't feel as though they need to use their car to get around. It shouldn’t be that people feel the need to purchase a car to commute comfortably, but with comfortable and safe walking paths, bike paths and public transit we can reduce the need for more highways. As Nairobi is already suffering from overpopulation, such investments would help the city reduce costs associated with traffic and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
Bibliography
The Structure of Users' Satisfaction on Urban Public Transport Service in Developing Country: the Case of Nairobi - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Nairobi-Transport-Modal-Share_fig1_228689478
ITDP. (2023, July 10). Reimagining the Nairobi Expressway as a Green Corridor. Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting Sustainable and Equitable Transportation Worldwide. https://itdp.org/2023/07/10/reimagine-the-nairobi-expressway-as-a-green-corridor/
Okadia , F. (2024, May 14). The Rise in Nairobi Expressway Toll Fees: The Fast Lane
Costs More than Projected. - IEA Kenya. IEA Kenya.
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