Kenya Railways has started early works on the Nairobi Railway City, which includes shops, office blocks and a light industrial hub, Business Daily newspaper reported, citing Managing Director Phillip Mainga.

The work scope also involves the construction of a pedestrian footbridge across the Nairobi Railway Yard, the new Nairobi Central Railway station, and a public square.

The ground-breaking of the multi-modal, transit-oriented development took place in December last year in the presence of President William Ruto, Business Daily newspaper reported.

The UK has committed £80 million (11.9 billion Kenyan shillings) for the KES 28 billion for the Nairobi Railway project.

The project is located within a 425-acre land plot of which Kenya Railways owns 292 acres.

In May 2022, Atkins UK working alongside local firm Howard Humphreys had handed over the final design of Nairobi Railway City’s new Central Railway Station and public realm to Kenya Railways and the Ministry of Transport, according to a press statement by parent SNC Lavalin.

The UK Export Finance Agency (UKEF) had signed an MOU with the Kenyan government in June 2022. The MOU provides Kenya with access to up to £1.5 billion to help finance priority infrastructure projects including the construction of the new Central Railway Station.

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UK to invest $97mln in hi-tech green development in Nairobi

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)