Nairobi has taken a decisive step toward becoming one of Africa’s few cities with an underground rail network, after the County Executive Committee (CEC) approved the implementation framework for the first phase of the Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System (NMRTS).
The approval, made during the 90th CEC meeting chaired by Governor Johnson Sakaja, sets in motion a long-anticipated plan to build an underground rail corridor beneath the Central Business District (CBD) and connect it to the Eastlands Line, one of the city’s busiest commuter routes.
The project was developed jointly by Nairobi City County and the Executive Office of the President, with the framework presented by Dr Silvester Kasuku, Governance Advisor in the President’s office.
Governor Sakaja said the approval marks the end of years of planning and the start of real construction work aimed at tackling Nairobi’s chronic traffic congestion, which costs commuters countless working hours every week.
“For far too long, the people of Nairobi, particularly our hardworking commuters from Eastlands and across the metropolitan area, have lost precious hours in traffic jams that slow down our economic growth. Today, we are moving from planning to implementation,” Sakaja said.
He added that the underground CBD core, combined with high-capacity links to Eastlands, would “unlock Nairobi’s economic potential, lower the cost of transport and build a cleaner, greener and world-class city.”
Beyond decongesting the roads, the county says the underground section will house integrated transit terminals linking rail, pedestrians and non-motorised transport, while the wider project is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction and operation and support Nairobi’s climate goals by cutting carbon emissions.
Sakaja also revealed that planning for Phase Two of the NMRTS is already underway. The next stage will extend the network to Westlands, Ngong Road and Lang’ata, serving growing commuter numbers from Ongata Rongai and Ngong.
Once complete, the rail network is expected to connect with Nairobi’s existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system through interchange stations, creating a seamless, high-capacity public transport system across the capital.
Before construction begins, the county government says it will roll out public participation forums and hold consultations with transport sector stakeholders and other government agencies.
If realised, Nairobi’s underground line would place Kenya’s capital among a small group of African cities, including Cairo, with metro-style rail systems, marking a historic shift in how the region’s fastest-growing city moves its people.
