The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has come out against the government's plan to build a 60-kilometre elevated expressway over the Thika Superhighway, calling it unnecessary duplication of a road that already works as an expressway.

In a statement dated November 2 and reported by Kenyans.co.ke and People Daily, the lobby said the proposal was "not only misguided" but went against sound urban planning and fiscal responsibility.

The project

The planned road would run from Thika town to Museum Hill in Nairobi, passing Juja and Ruiru, and would be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) at an estimated cost of more than Sh150 billion. President William Ruto is expected to break ground by December 2026.

The government says the elevated lanes will separate long-distance traffic from local commuters and ease jams at Githurai, Ruiru and Juja. It is also pushing plans to dual the Muthaiga-Kiambu road.

Why motorists object

MAK argues that the existing superhighway already has the main features of an expressway, including controlled entry and exit points, footbridges, service lanes and up to 12 lanes in some sections. Its main objections are:

  • Concrete decks would block sunlight and trap noise and fumes, turning the ground level into what it called a "dark and insecure concrete jungle".
  • Support pillars would narrow existing lanes and disrupt traffic and trade for years during construction.
  • Property and business values along the corridor could fall, as the lobby says happened along Uhuru Highway and Mombasa Road.
  • The cost, which it described as a waste of public resources.

The alternatives

Instead, the association wants the State to redesign Pangani junction, which it considers the corridor's main bottleneck, with interchanges, and to build a high-capacity light rail line within the railway reserve alongside dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lanes.

It is the second time MAK has rejected the project since President Ruto first announced it. The plan affects one of the busiest commuter routes linking Nairobi and Kiambu counties, used daily by hundreds of thousands of residents of Ruiru, Juja, Githurai and Thika.

The Kenya National Highways Authority had not publicly responded to the latest objections by Tuesday evening.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke (Thika Superhighway). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.