One bright Saturday morning in the coastal city of Mombasa is one that is forever etched in my mind.
After attending a leadership conference in the town it was time to head back home (Nairobi), my flight scheduled at 10 am from Moi International Airport.
It meant I had to leave my hotel by 7:30 am to give myself at least 45 minutes to make it to the airport. My driver was right on time, and the journey began.
Traffic was unusually heavy (as my driver noted). This caused me jitters wondering if I will make it on time for m flight.
The highway (A109) which serves Makupa, Changamwe and Mikindani was a parking lot. It exacerbated the heat, sweat and the tension.
By 8:45 am I was still caught in traffic. I swallowed my pride, sacrificed my chauffeured drive and hopped onto a “boda boda” with my suitcase at hand.
The rider was quite adept, whizzing through dusty roads and showing truck drivers his best skills. Long story short, I made it to Nairobi and joined my family for lunch.
Looking back, it is a situation I wouldn’t wish on any tourist visiting Mombasa. Being a port city, heavy traffic is a regular feature.
Three months later, I appreciate the cause of that unforgettable traffic: infrastructure upgrade.
The Mombasa – Mariakani Highway project is one that excites me. In particular it is the Mombasa – Kwa Jomvu road section which is the main artery to the Moi International Airport, Mombasa.
The 11-kilometre section which starts from Digo Road junction to the Kwa Jomvu interchange heralds brighter days of road infrastructure in Mombasa.
The cost of the project is 6 Billion Shillings and it’s now at 86% done..
In a recent visit by the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU) team, we assessed progress works, and how the contractor was coping in light of Covid 19 Pandemic. We witnessed the use of high spec concrete at the Makupa roundabout, a first in the region.
One marvels at the tall concrete retaining walls at the Changamwe interchange. I was particularly excited by the Kwa Jomvu section which will see the construction of a three-tier interchange.
Engineers at the Kenya National Highways Authority (implementing agency) are confident of a transformation of the city once this project is complete.
That said, they face a myriad of challenges such as land compensation, lawsuits and the impact of relocation of power, water and oil pipes.
The PDU Team led by Senior Director, Patrick Ngatia promised to assist in addressing the road construction bottlenecks.
A visit at this section, one cannot help but witness the inconvenience caused to motorists thanks to diversions to give way for construction.
That said, there are brighter days ahead. As one who nearly missed his flight home due to the snarl-up.
I cannot wait to see the completion of this project. Next time, maybe it will take me 15 minutes to the airport down from the hours of inconvenience currently witnessed.
Blog by Laban Cliff, PDU
