Samsung Construction and Trading Corporation is set to begin constructing an intelligent traffic management system in Nairobi to ease congestion on the city’s roads.
Nairobi loses approximately Sh120 billion per year due to traffic congestion, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
This is after the South Korean firm signed a $61 million Sh7.88 (billion) deal with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) in November last year.
The amount will cover the first phase of the Nairobi Intelligent Transport System Establishment and Junction Improvement Project.
The firm won the international tender for the project, which was floated by Kura—the state agency overseeing the project—in 2023.
The scope of work for the Nairobi Intelligent Transport System (ITS) project involves the construction of the Traffic Management Centre (TMC) building at City Cabanas, Mombasa Road, and the installation of smart traffic control systems in 25 major junctions.
It will also include the installation of intelligent field equipment, such as traffic signals, signal controllers, intersection surveillance cameras, vehicle enforcement systems, and a communication network.
The Nairobi ITS project will involve the expansion and modification of key junctions in Nairobi, including Moi Avenue/Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange/Kenyatta Avenue, Mbagathi Way/Lang’ata Road, and Limuru Road/Muthaiga Road, among others.
The project, financed by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund through the Export-Import Bank of Korea, is expected to start this month and end by February 2027.
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir directed Samsung and KURA to expedite the project’s implementation.
“I urge you to amortize the cameras and related infrastructure to ensure they serve the country for many years to come. The system you install should allow for smooth feed-in to future technology and additions,” Chirchir said.
Intelligent Transport System uses artificial intelligence to control urban traffic. It utilises smart cameras, variable timing traffic lights, and a control centre to monitor and control traffic, thereby easing the burden on traffic police officers.
The system can study traffic flow data in real-time, thus allowing longer traffic flow on roads with more traffic, hence minimising waiting time.
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