Kenya and the European Commission have agreed to a EUR 347.6 million (about Ksh.50 billion) financing arrangement for the building of East Africa’s first dedicated electric bus rapid lane.
The agreement was achieved during a meeting at the European Union Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, between President William Ruto and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The Green Mobility-Nairobi core Bus Rapid Transit line 3 (BRT 3) will have zero-emission electric buses, intelligent transportation system features, cheap fare setting, access to public transportation for youth, women, and low-income households, and traveller safety.
This development comes after Members of Parliament voted down a new round of funding for the Thika Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, calling it a waste of public funds.
The project, which has been on and off since 2020, came to a halt last year when the Chinese contractor left the site due to a lack of funding.
Stecol Corporation, formerly SinoHydro Tianjin Engineering Co. Ltd., departed the site in the middle of last year when the government failed to grant the Sh3 billion needed to construct the corridor between Kasarani and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga previously stated that additional funds were required to complete the project by July 2022.
Stecol Corp. signed a Sh5.6 billion contract with the State in 2020 to build the trial phase of the 27km Simba BRT line, which spans from Ruiru to KNH.
Following the pilot phase, the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata), the implementing authority, was expected to implement phase one of the Ruiru-KNH mass transit route, which would include the deployment of 300 high-capacity buses.
Namata’s long-term goal is to build five bus-only corridors spanning five counties. They include Nyati, Chui, Ndovu, Simba, and Kifaru, which will all be connected within Nairobi’s central business district.
