President William Ruto has said that fresh works to rebuild and spruce up the stretch of Mombasa Road between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and ABC will begin before the end of the month.
He explained that the long-delayed upgrade is meant to fix the worn-out lower section that many drivers have complained about and to give the busy road a cleaner and more organised look.
He pointed out that the lower deck has been troublesome ever since the elevated Expressway opened for use.
"Kwa sababu barabara ya Expressway imekamilika na wananchi wanatumia pale juu, barabara ya chini iko na matatizo na ndiyo sababu kuanzia hii Disemba mkienda krisimasi tutajenga upya na tuifanyie beautification ndiyo Nairobi ionekane kama city ya taifa letu," he said.
(Now that the Expressway is complete and people are using the upper lanes, the lower road has experienced problems. That is why, starting this December, as we approach Christmas, we will reconstruct and beautify it so that Nairobi can truly reflect the status of our nation).
The Expressway build began in October 2019 and later opened for public use on a trial period before its official launch in late 2023. After that, highway engineers started patching up the ground-level road, which had taken a beating during the long construction phase. Ruto said the new round of repairs will be more thorough and geared towards restoring the entire stretch.
During the Jamhuri Day event at Nyayo Stadium, Ruto also turned to the daily struggles of residents who depend on the Rongai and Ngong routes, where traffic has become a constant headache. He revealed that both roads will be expanded into dual carriageways from next year.
The Rongai upgrade will run from Bomas to Kiserian, while the Ngong section will cover the route from Bomas to Karen, through Bulbul and onwards to Kiserian.
"I would like to announce that starting next year, we will make the road a dual carriageway, so that residents there can travel more easily,” he stated.
The corridor linking Bomas, Ongata Rongai and Kiserian is one of the most crowded commuter passages out of Nairobi, with lanes too narrow for the heavy flow of vehicles. Long snarl-ups, especially in the morning and evening, have become part of daily life. Expanding the road is expected to ease traffic, cut travel hours and make the route safer for users.
This year’s Jamhuri Day ceremony, which focused on the theme Tourism, also featured Ghana's President John Mahama among the invited guests.
