• Traffic snarl-ups in the Nairobi metropolis are estimated to cost the country Sh2 billion annually.
• Gitau of Namata says expensive transport is constantly making Kenyans poorer.
In the next 10 years, navigating Nairobi will not be for the faint-hearted.
The city will be inefficient, toxic, choked, unsustainable and without a good public transport system.
"Employee movement will be too expensive. Nobody should use more than 15 per cent of their earnings on transport, 25 per cent on housing and our minimum wage is about Sh13,000," Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) CEO Francis Gitau has said.
Gitau spoke to the Star in his office during an interview on the progress made so far on the much-awaited Bus Rapid Transit.
He said expensive transport is constantly making Kenyans poorer.
Traffic snarl-ups in the Nairobi metropolis are estimated to cost the country Sh2 billion annually.
Gitau said only public transport can ensure equality and equity in the utilisation of national resources. Public transport, he said, is what drives the economy, develops culture and transforms urban space so that it does not die.
"The inner city is rotting because everything in the city is cars in parking lots, toilet spaces and on pavements. We have a great opportunity as our data of 2014 has a mobility plan," Gitau said.
He said the plan needs to be reviewed to package investment optimally.
"The data exists," Gitau said, pointing at heaps of documents in his office.
Gitau said the tendering submission for the Bus Rapid Transit will be on the 27th of this month.
Last month, the government floated tenders to improve the infrastructure of the Thika Superhighway to accommodate the project.
“The improvement will be undertaken as a design and build contract with a construction period of 18 months,” the tender notice says.
The project will be carried out in two phases under one contract. The first section will be between Clayworks and the Nairobi CBD, while the second phase will start from Clayworks to Ruiru.
Namata expects the successful bidder to sign a fixed contract.
“The bidders are therefore expected to have experience and capability in both design and construction of BRT facilities and are encouraged to associate as construction firms and consultancy firms to enhance their capabilities in this area.”
A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on December 10, according to Namata.
Under the project, the contractor will take obligation on detailed designs and construction. This means that the risks associated with designs, construction will be shifted to the contractor.
Namata was established by President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 9, 2017. It covers Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang’a counties.
It is mandated to establish an integrated, efficient, effective and sustainable public transport system.
Gitau said Namata's capacity needs to be built. "We need top directors as we have an organisational structure. Metropolitan authorities usually employ 10 percent of a population but that is not what we are asking for."
He said there must be at least four directors – director on projects and programmes, planning operations, corporate services' director and corporation secretary to support the board.
Already, five corridors have been identified to decongest Nairobi roads.
Line 1 is to run from the James Gichuru Road and Waiyaki Way junction to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a distance of 20km.
The 31-km line 2 will run from Lang’ata Road to Ngong Road, Juja Road, Komarock Road to Ruiru with major stops in Dandora, Kariobangi and Gikomba Market.
Line 3 will run from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD, terminating at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The government intends to do piloting on line 3.