Motorists will be allowed to use the Nairobi Expressway from Saturday May 14, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
Speaking at the first edition of the Nairobi City Marathon at Nyayo Stadium, the President said the expressway will be open for public trial next Saturday ahead of the official opening at a later date.
“We will allow Kenyans to use the expressway so that we see the loopholes that exist before we officially launch it,” he said.
“From Saturday, the expressway will be in use so that we continue to build Nairobi and Kenya as a whole.”
An estimated 33km of the Uhuru Classic Nairobi City Marathon full marathon (42km) was held on the Expressway while the half marathon (21km), 10km and 5km races were all held on the Expressway.
All races gunned off on Langata Road opposite the Nyayo National Stadium before participants poured to the Expressway.
It’s the President who had the honour to start both the 42km and half marathon races before heading to the finish line to receive the winners.
First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, participated in the 5km race, and too, was received at the finish line by the President, who was flanked by Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Amina Mohamed and Athletics Kenya president Jack Tuwei.
Two-time Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon champion Brimin Misoi and Agnes Barsosio won the men and women’s marathons of the Classic that had $389,500 (Sh44.8m) as purse money.
Each of the full marathon winners pocketed $60,000 (Sh6.9m) from their exploits.
Misoi, who won the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2017 and 2019 added yet another feather to his city races accolades, clocking a personal best of 2 hours, 08 minutes and 30 seconds.
The 39-year-old Barsosio, the 2019 Hangzhou Marathon champion, romped home in 2:24:45 to claim the women’s honours.
Madrid Half Marathon champion Vincent Ng'etich and Irene Kamais swept the new Expressway in 1:00:44 and 1:09:15 to take home the men and women’s half marathon titles.
“We hope this infrastructure will help ease traffic congestion in the city as we also celebrate our athletes who have made Kenya the home of champions,” said the President. “Today, we are also attracting champions from across the globe.”
The President, who had graced the Kip Keino Classic the previous day affirmed Kenya’s preparedness to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Kenyatta reiterated that the country had exhibited high professionalism to successfully host the 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships and 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
The President explained that Kenya has also successfully hosted three editions of Kip Keino Classic.
The construction of the 27km Nairobi Expressway that runs from Mlolongo to Westlands is almost complete.
It has been touted as a game changer in efforts to reduce traffic congestion on Mombasa Road, which runs alongside it.
The highway is financed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent firm of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), in a public-private partnership (PPP).
The expressway, with 18.2km on the ground and 8.9km elevated, is a class A, four-lane dual carriageway with an initial design speed of 80km per hour.
The dual carriageway has 11 interchanges at Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, Westlands and James Gichuru Road.
Motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and tuktuks will not be allowed to access the highway. Also prohibited are pedestrians and skaters.
