Eugene Cardus
The traffic build up and jam in Nairobi could be a thing of the past if a proposal to form a new body to tackle the menace is accepted. Transport Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera on Tuesday announced that a draft Executive Order for the establishment of Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) had been forwarded to President Uhuru Kenyatta for approval.
Nyakera said that, the body would be mandated with establishing a mass transport system, commuter services and the public transport within Nairobi metropolis, when He appeared before the National Assembly Transport Committee. “the plan also ropes in satellite towns and will be extended to Machakos, Murang’a, Kajiado and Kiambu” He said adding that the National Government had already signed an agreement with these counties.
The PS assured that the Order was only awaiting President Kenyatta’s assent for it to be actualized. He further added that Sh400 Million had been set aside for expansion of the commuter rail project as part of the plan to decongest the city. “We will soon have a lot more commuter rails. We are going to sign a commercial contract for construction of the commuter rail from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the Central Business District,” he explained.
