Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has urged the government to initiate the expansion of Nairobi City to address congestion and accommodate the growing population.
Responding to the opposition of the construction of the railway line through Ngong Forest over concerns of environmental damage and heritage loss by Karen residents, Atwoli said such developments were necessary for the city’s future.
He insisted that while environmental concerns are valid, development must take priority in building a functional and reliable city.
Atwoli expressed concern over the pressure the city is facing, saying Nairobi can no longer support its current population and infrastructure.
“When we were young, Nairobi had about 200,000 people in the city. Now it hosts over 15 million people, and it cannot continue like this,” he said.
To create space for expansion, Atwoli controversially suggested that land currently occupied by Nairobi National Park be repurposed for development.
“We must use the national park land around Nairobi. We must take those animals to Maasai Mara,” he proposed, adding that the space could be used to grow the city and enhance its global image.
Atwoli urged that the city needed transformation, even though it is the only city with a national park, he suggested that it was time to do away with it for expansion to take place.
He proposed that the city must undergo a major transformation to become a true international hub.
According to Atwoli, Nairobi needs to be redesigned with wide roads, proper infrastructure, modern industrial parks, and sufficient space for economic activities.
“We need a new Nairobi with facilities and a manufacturing base,” he stated.
Atwoli also criticised the lack of planning alternatives, noting that Nairobi remains the only major capital in Africa that has not been decongested.
He said that the Nation has to come up with the establishment of an independent administrative or economic city to help relieve Nairobi’s burden.
“We don’t have any independent city to decongest Nairobi. So we must expand Nairobi,” he stressed.
