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Govt to construct 8km of roads within Umoja Estate

By Hillary Kimuyu February 12th, 2021 2 min read

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is planning to renovate eight kilometres of roads in Nairobi’s Umoja-Innercore area to improve access.

The project which will be undertaken at a cost of Sh902 million will touch on eight roads and is set to be completed in November next year.

The project scope includes upgrading into bitumen standards of a seven-meter-wide two lane carriageway, inclusion of two metre footpaths, bus bays, drainage facilities, road marking, and street lighting.

Umoja Innercore is composed of several road links that include Ruaraka Crescent Road, Kangundo Moi Drive link, Malewa – Mwangaza Road, Nasra Estate Road, Kifaru Mutindwa Road, Kangundo Service Road, Mowlem Link Road, and Outer Ring Road.

“After its completion, it will supplement the Regeneration Programme that the Authority finished implementing last year, which saw a rehabilitation of 38 roads totalling 83 kilometres within Eastlands,” the authority said in a statement.

Speaking during the commissioning of the road, Embakasi West MP George Theuri said the road project would improve opportunities for residents and locals in the area.

“This project will open up Umoja and its environs to commercial ventures, enable residents to move with ease, improve security, create local employment and improve connectivity within Embakasi West,” said Theuri.

In 2019, City Hall received more than Sh415 million conditional grant to be used in the rehabilitation of roads across the capital city.

The rehabilitation is part of Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) ambitious plan to rehabilitate 444 kilometers of road in one year.

NMS Director General Major General Mohamed Badi pointed out that the aim of the 444-kilometer project is to increase accessibility in the informal settlements.

“One year from now, all access roads within the informal settlements will be tarmacked,” Badi affirmed.

Last week, NMS commenced the construction of new tarmac roads in Kibera in a bid to improve accessibility in the informal settlement.

The project, which will enable 28 kilometers of roads be constructed in the area, considered as Africa’s largest urban slum, is part of Sh5.8 billion plan aimed at upgrading 444 kilometres of access roads across informal settlements in Nairobi County.

Last year September, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) Director-General Silas Kinoti said the 444km road project is aimed at improving accessibility in the informal settlements in Nairobi opening them up.

Areas that were to benefit include Kawangware, Riruta, parts of Dagoretti North, Mathare, Kangemi, Mukuru, Kibera, parts of Githurai 44 and 45, Mwiki, and Zimmermann, among others with access roads in the areas upgraded to bitumen standards.