Goodies For 10 Million Kenyans Who Used Nairobi Expressway In 7 Months

The multi-billion Nairobi Expressway which runs from Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road, on Tuesday, February 7 celebrated over 10 million motorists who have used it since it was opened by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in July 2022.

Moja Expressway Chief Executive Officer Steve Zhao led the company's celebrations which saw 5,000 free toll points awarded to a few lucky motorists using the Expressway at the Westlands Toll Station, seven months since the project was officially launched.

Also handed out were notebooks to the lucky motorists, with covers branded with the colours and graphics of the company by Moja staff who were on cue to gift motorists at random.

In his speech, CEO Zhao recognised the sporadic growth rate registered since the commencement of trial operations on May 14, 2022, with about 50,000 vehicles on average using the road every day, with this being a five-time increment from then.

"It gives me the pride to admit that this journey has been successful because of the contributions of all who are gathered here today. The Nairobi Expressway was crowned the "Infrastructure of the Year" in the annual Afrika Mashariki Awards just a few days shy from commissioning.

"The Nairobi Expressway has an evolving list of payment options with the most convenient being the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC)," he stated.

According to Zhao, ETC not only saves time by granting motorists passage in just three seconds, but it also helps save fuel which is a direct contribution to environmental conservation and it also comes with a five per cent discount on toll fees per trip.

A recent study highlighted that if a motorist makes 10,000 trips using the ETC option, they save about 314 litres of fuel and reduce about 670 kilogrammes of carbon from the environment.

"With a fast-moving road, Moja Expressway Company had to strategize and have an effective plan to enhance safety.

"We have a special Road Asset and Corridor Management unit dedicated to providing a 24-hour road rescue service. In the event of an unfortunate incident, the Road Asset Corridor Management unit attends to motorists' needs promptly and traffic is not disrupted," he added.

Zhao further expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Transport and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) for their role in the actualization of the project. 

"The project is the first iconic toll road under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework in Kenya. The Road has significantly reduced traffic congestion into and out of the City. KeNHA looks forward to a great partnership and engagement in future PPP projects within the country," stated KeNHA.

Moja Expressway was contracted to collect tolls on the Expressway to make up for the Ksh59 billion capital invested in the project through a Public Private Partnership deal.