The Nyeri county government will carry on with the construction of a Sh600 million terminus after Nema approved the project.
The Nema approval cleared uncertainties that have clouded the project following criticisms by residents who claimed the authority had not been involved.
The construction of the matatu terminus was officially launched by Governor Mutahi Kahiga in June last year.
It is one of his flagship projects.
On Friday, Kahiga said the National Environment Management Authority had approved the implementation of the project.
“Pursuant to the submission of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study report by the County Government of Nyeri, Nema has successfully reviewed and issued a license for the implementation of the Asian Quarters Bus Termini project,” the governor were on his Facebook page.
“As the governor of Nyeri, I am pleased by this progress that will now enable the smooth completion of this progressive venture.”
He said Nema's environmental impact assessment license was issued to the county on April 1. The license was as a result of public participation held earlier on in the year by the authority.
The public hearing meeting which had been convened by Nema on February 20 to discuss the project ended in disarray after residents accused the authority of intending to stop the project.
A rowdy crowd nearly roughed up Nema officials and former Nyeri MP Esther Murugi prompting security officers to intervene.
When complete, the project will decongest Nyeri town by reducing both human and motor vehicle traffic, Kahiga said.
“This will result in economic development, expansion of Nyeri town and creation of employment opportunities for residents,” the governor said.
The project funded by the World Bank involves the construction of 1,000 business stalls, 300 matatu bus parking bays and half an acre of an open-air market.
A garage, lorries parking area, 100 taxi parking bays, a four-storey business centre, a police post, a fire station, five sanitation blocks, a green park and a county office will also be constructed during the first phase.
Edited by Peter Obuya