State allocates Sh244.9bn for infrastructure

The government has allocated Sh244.9 billion to support the construction of roads, bridges.

The amount will also go towards their rehabilitation and maintenance.

This is an increase of Sh32.4 billion allocated during the last financial year by the former regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In the financial year 2022/23 former National Treasury CS Ukur Yatani allocated Sh212.5 billion to support the construction of roads and bridges as well as their rehabilitation and maintenance.

Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u on Thursday presented Kenya Kwanza's first budget for 2023-24.

Ndung'u said the government will continue to expand critical infrastructure in roads, railways, sea and airports to create an enabling environment for economic recovery and create employment.

“To expand the railway transport, Sh37.4 billion was allocated for the Standard Gauge Railway,” he said.

During the 2022/23 financial year, Yatani had allocated Sh18.5 billion for the development of the SGR; Sh1.1 billion for Railways Metro Lines; Sh439 million for the rehabilitation of locomotives; and Sh264 million for the development of the ERP system for SGR during the financial year 2022/23.

In the financial year 2023-24, Ndung'u has allocated Sh579 million for the rehabilitation of the locomotives and a further Sh889 million towards the development of Nairobi Railway City.

Already, Kenya Railways has commenced the construction works of Phase 1 of the Nairobi Railway City.

President William Ruto officially presided over the groundbreaking of the Sh27.9 billion project in December last year at the Nairobi Central Railway station.

The works of the first phase cover the construction of a pedestrian footbridge across the Nairobi Railway Yard, the construction of a new Nairobi Central Railway station and a public square.

To facilitate the movement of goods, Ndung'u allocated Sh1.1 billion for the Nairobi Bus Rapid Transit project.

The state is banking on the BRT project in the city to help curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The much-awaited project has however stalled due to the lack of funds.

The BRT project, which is meant to decongest the city, was allocated Sh1.2 billion in the 2022-23 budget.

Authorities say BRT will be a reliable mode of commuter transport planned to decongest the central business district, ease transport woes, reduce travel time as well as reduce air pollution.

The purpose of BRT is to provide fast, frequent, reliable clean, safe and affordable transport.

Traffic snarl-ups in the Nairobi metropolis are estimated to cost the country Sh2 billion annually.

Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority is overseeing the implementation of the BRT project.

Namata was established by former President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 9, 2017. It covers Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang’a counties.

The authority is mandated to establish an integrated, efficient, effective, and sustainable public transport system.

In November 2019, the government floated the BRT tender, saying it intends to improve the Thika Superhighway infrastructure to accommodate the project.

The project will be carried out in two phases under one contract.

The first section is between Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD, while the second phase will start from Clayworks to Ruiru.

Chinese firm Stecol Corporation secured the Sh5.6 billion contract to build special lanes for high-capacity buses in July.

The buses are to operate between Thika Superhighway, Nairobi city centre and Kenyatta National Hospital.

Minor depots will be at Kenyatta National Hospital and Ruiru.

During the 2023-24 financial year, Ndung'u also allocated Sh300 million for the acquisition of ferries for Lake Victoria.

The CS further proposed a budget allocation of Sh727 million for the construction and expansion of airports and airstrips.

To deliver a smart driving license, Ndung'u set aside Sh500 million for that purpose and Sh2.6 million for infrastructure development in Dongo Kundu special economic zones.