President Uhuru Kenyatta term in office is about to expire. During his last term in office, the Head of State seemed in a hurry to leave a lasting legacy before he exited the stage.
In this article, WoK takes a look at the six projects Uhuru will be remembered for long after his presidency.
Nairobi Expressway
The Nairobi Expressway is one of the projects that will go down as President Uhuru’s legacy. The 27 kilometer elevated highway has literally changed the face of Nairobi city. The highway which costs the taxpayer Ksh 88 billion starts from the Westlands area, connects Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and stretches all the way to Mlolongo. Since its launch in May 2022, the road has played a significant role in reducing traffic along the busy Mombasa road.
SGR
The Standard Gauge Railway famously known as SGR is another significant project undertaken by President Uhuru’s government. The modern railway system that was launched in 2017 covers a total of 578.8 kilometers and was built at a cost of Ksh 320 billion. It has played a major role in connecting the port of Mombasa to Nairobi and a further extension to Suswa in Kisumu County. The SGR has reduced the time of Kenyans traveling between the two major cities to about half and also reduced the travel time to 5 hours.
Likoni Floating Bridge
Uhuru’s regime constructed the Likoni Floating Bridge in 2020 which effectively became East Africa’s first floating bridge. The 1.2 kilometer bridge serves as a gateway for Mombasa port estimated to be used by 300,000 pedestrians and 6,000 vehicles every day. The bridge was constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) at a total cost of KS 1.7 billion. The bridge has played a significant role in decongesting the ferries and reducing the number of accidents that used to occur at the channel.
Kisumu Port
The Kisumu port was built in 1901 but along the way it collapsed and became a ghost center. It was revamped it in 2018 at a total cost of Ksh 3 billion. The project was made possible by the March 2018 handshake between President Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has boosted the economy of Kisumu County. After being launched in November 2019, in just one year it had recorded a 60 percent increase in the cargo handled and the number of vessels using the facility jumped by 116 percent.
The Kipevu Oil Terminal
The Kipevu Oil Terminal was first constructed 50 years ago. The Jubilee administration constructed a Ksh 40 billion new terminal next to the old one. The project is handled by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and consists of an offshore island terminal with four jetties measuring 770 meters long. The facility is currently 96 percent complete and is expected to be launched before the end of 2022.
Lamu Port
The government constructed the Ksh 310 billion Lamu Port which was launched on 20th May 2020. The port is instrumental in breathing life to the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Project (LAPSSET). The port connects the East African countries that are landlocked by opening them up to global trade routes. With a depth of 18 meters compared to 12.5 meters of Mombasa port, Lamu port attracts bigger ships hence boosting the economy of the coastal region.
