Audio By Vocalize
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja before the Senate Commiitee on Roads on March 18, 2025. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, in conjunction with the national government, has come up with a novel idea. He plans to construct an underground train system from the Central Business District to Eastlands. If successful, this will be the first one in East, West and South Africa. The only countries with metros in Africa are Egypt and Algeria in the North.
But, does Kenya, and specifically Eastlands, need a metro? Without a doubt, a metro can help reduce the near nightmarish traffic congestion in the city and therefore Sakaja is on the right path. That said, however, an underground railway line for Eastlands is not necessarily a good idea. Why construct an underground railway line when an overland one already exists and is underutilised?
We already have a functional railway line going to Eastlands. It branches off at Donholm estate, with another going to Dandora and then Mwiki estates and another going to Pipeline and beyond. These lines are underutilised. What should be done is to extend the line along Kangundo Road and add additional connections to serve many more residential estates. The Kenya Railways should also popularise and increase the frequency of the commuter trains so that more people can embrace them.
