President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday said the Nairobi expressway will be open for use from 14th May 2022.
“From Saturday, the expressway will be in use so that we continue to build Nairobi and Kenya as a whole.”
Speaking during the launch of the Nairobi City Marathon, the president stated that the expressway will only be open for trial to allow Kenyans to identify possible gaps for adjustments before the official opening.
“We will allow Kenyans to use the expressway so that we see the loopholes that exist before we officially launch it,” he said.
The Head of state noted that the move will reduce traffic congestion in the city and its surroundings.
Motorists can choose to use either the Manual Toll Collection (MTC) or the ETC once they reach the service centers.
The government banned photography, skating, pedestrians, two and three-wheeled vehicles (tuk-tuks), wheelbarrows, and bicycles on the 27-kilometer way.
According to the revised rates for the expressway last week, there is an increase of 16 percent, hence all motorists will have to pay more to access the road.
The rates reflect foreign exchange changes for the dollar-denominated charges, following the weakening of the Kenyan shilling.
However, the toll rates are set for future adjustments based on not just the prevailing exchange rate, but also changes in the Consumer Price Index.
The expressway stretches through, Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, Westlands, and James Gichuru Road.