President William Ruto and Governor Johnson Sakaja visited King’s Cross Railway Station in London as part of efforts to advance the Nairobi Railway City (NRC) project, which is estimated to cost KSh 30 billion.
The statement released from the governor’s office on Wednesday explained that the visit occurred after a meeting between President Ruto and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The two leaders renewed Kenya and the UK’s partnership to support development in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
“The Nairobi Railway City Project received a major boost after Kenya and the United Kingdom renewed their strategic partnership, getting the stage ready for more trade and investment between the two countries,” the statement said.Governor Sakaja later accompanied the president to King’s Cross, a busy commuter station, to learn how the UK has built a modern, efficient transport system, lessons they hope to apply in the Nairobi project.
Once complete, the NRC will sit on 425 acres in the heart of the city and is expected to improve transport, upgrade Nairobi’s Central Station, and serve more than two million daily commuters.
The project will cover areas around Haile Selassie Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Landhies Road, and Bunyala Road, including parts of Muthurwa and the farmers’ market. Developments will include a central square, new train platforms, green spaces, and shops.
This is going to change Nairobi into a modern, cleaner city with safer, better-connected public spaces.
It was first introduced under former President Uhuru Kenyatta and is now being funded through a public-private partnership supported by the UK.