KENYA has received $377.8 million (KSh50bn) from a consortium of European agencies to build a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane in Nairobi — the first electric bus lane in East Africa. It plans to ease the city’s traffic congestion.
In 2022, Kenya announced it would only use electric vehicles on the BRT system. This funding will make that possible.
The European Union will provide $48.9 million (KSh6.47bn) in grants, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) will jointly support the project with $256.8 million (KSh33.9bn), and Kenya will bring $72.0 million (KSh9.5bn).
The ten components of the project include bus running ways, bus stations, bus depots, a bus fleet (110 articulated buses), interchange stations for feeder bus services, park-and-ride facilities, and a BRT control room.
Kenya is currently struggling to recover from fuel shortage problems that are driving up fuel prices and lowering the standard of living for many Kenyans. But the bus lanes will not be ready for some time yet.
The project will begin at Kenyatta National Hospital and proceed to Haile Selassie Avenue before entering the Central Business District. It will continue to Race Course Road, Ring Road, Ngara, Juja Road, and end in Dandora.