President William Ruto has launched the Railway City Project in Nairobi which seeks to expand and decongest the Central Business District.
The Sh27.9 billion multi-modal iconic development is situated between Haile Sellasie Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Landhies Road and Bunyala Road.
The development is strategically located at the nerve centre of the city most suitable for the Nairobi new bus transit transport system.
It sits on 425 acres of land, a vast majority of it owned by Kenya railways, Kenya Railways Retirement Benefits Scheme and other state entities.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Ruto said the project marks the beginning of economic development for the city by eliminating transport gridlocks.
"The Railway City Project is designed to be a masterpiece providing ease of transport for commuters. The first phase will also comprise 10,000 housing units on 40 acres of Railway City."
Ruto said the project will significantly contribute to the government's vision of delivering 250,000 affordable urban housing units annually to 6.5 million Kenyans living in informal settlements.
The President said on Saturday, he will launch another additional 5,000 housing projects in Eastlands in an effort to create more homeowners.
The Railway City Project will provide employment to 5,000 people.
Other than increasing the revenue base for the Nairobi county government, the project will also regenerate the area around Nairobi Central Railway Station into a modern Railway City as well as provide a livable and sustainable urban space.
It will also expand the Nairobi CBD to the South, position Nairobi as a leading World City, as well as support ridership for the Nairobi commuter rail.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said even with the launch of the project, their sight is set on providing a non-motorised transport system in the city.
"We want to provide not just a transport system because people don't have the ability to drive but because they can walk to work without driving and live a healthy lifestyle," Murkomen said.
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the project will help reduce traffic congestion in the city and save commuters the agony of staying in traffic for a long.
"We have all been stuck in traffic for hours in this city, this project aims to bring that to an end so that people can get where they are going on time."
