Cops to guard shops inside Sh2bn Haile Selassie underpass

Construction of the Green Park Terminus underpass/ENOS TECHE

The ongoing construction of the Sh2 billion passenger underpass at Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi will feature shops and stalls to enhance passenger safety, Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua has told members of parliament.

KeNHA closed the road on January 16 and is expected to last until February 20, 2025, to facilitate the construction of the pedestrian underpass at the Haile Selassie roundabout.

Fresh details by the roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua to members of parliament that the construction of the underpass will feature 24-hour shops manned by police to enhance security and deter criminals.

Mbugua stated that the underpass will be monitored around the clock by police officers to ensure pedestrian safety while providing a connection between the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) and the Green Park Terminus.

This initiative aims to ease congestion on Uhuru Highway by facilitating smooth pedestrian movement. The underpass, being constructed by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), will enable hundreds of Nairobi commuters traveling to Upper Hill and nearby areas to cross safely without disrupting traffic flow.

“One of the things that we need to appreciate is that on this specific one, we have even enhanced social matters, like there will be shops underneath that would also accommodate people to do business, even late at night.” Said Mbugua Mbugua.

“It's also related, and we hope that with such businesses, we will attract policing within the same area, and people walking are likely to be safer.”

The Greenpark Terminus Pedestrian Underpass Network along the Uhuru Highway-Haile Selassie intersection roundabout in Nairobi is being built at a cost of Sh2 billion.

The project received the green light after the government set aside funds under the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) for the construction.

Once completed, the underpass will see pedestrians connect between Nairobi CBD and Green Park Terminus and will also serve hundreds of Nairobi residents who commute to Upper Hill and other adjacent areas.