Using the Nairobi Expressway, Kenya’s latest mega infrastructure

A section of the Nairobi Expressway as captured on May 14, 2022, before opening for public use.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

The new Nairobi Expressway is a crucial elevated highway stretching from the east side of Mlolongo in the outskirts of the capital city, to James Gichuru Road on the west side of the county. The 27.1km thoroughfare passes by JKIA, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi CBD and Westlands.

It is a Class-A highway with a design speed of 80kph. The four-lane dual carriageway expands to six lanes between the Eastern Bypass and the Southern Bypass.

There are 15 entrances and 14 exit points to provide motorists with convenient transitions to various destinations across the city.

Using the expressway, the travelling time between Westlands and JKIA will be significantly reduced from two hours to just 20 minutes. The road will no doubt enhance economic exchanges between Nairobi and its outskirts. You can download a copy of the Nairobi Expressway route map from here.

Access options

The Nairobi Expressway is furnished with toll stations that provide for both Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) and Manual Toll Collection (MTC). Motorists have the option of using either.

Using the ETC

  • Access the Nairobi Expressway using the nearest entry point.
  • Maintain a speed of below 20kph and select the ETC lane as displayed at the toll station.
  • The barrier will automatically be lifted after data in the On-Board Unit (OBU) installed in your car is captured by the detector above the ETC lane.
  • When exiting, maintain a speed of below 20kph and select the ETC lane as displayed at the toll station.
  • The toll points are automatically deducted through the OBU and the barrier will be lifted at the exit.

Using the MTC

  • Access the Nairobi Expressway using the nearest entry point.
  • Maintain a speed of 5kph and select the MTC lane as displayed at the toll station.
  • Stop at the toll booth. Press the green button to collect your pass voucher, and the barrier will be lifted for access.
  • When exiting, maintain a speed of 5kph and select the MTC lane as displayed at the toll station.
  • Present your pass voucher and MTC Card or cash to the toll attendant for verification and payment.
  • Once payment is successful, the toll attendant will hand back the MTC Card or payment balance where applicable, but will retain the pass voucher.
  • The barrier is lifted, and the user safely exits the expressway.

How to subscribe to ETC Service and MTC Card

ETC Service

The user may choose to subscribe to the ETC service online through the MOJA Expressway official website or visit the service centres at the Nairobi Expressway Plaza located on Mombasa Road or Gitanga Road next to Maria Immaculata Hospital.  

For online applications, please visit www.nairobiexpressway.ke and upload the required documentation, then pay the applicable fees.

For in-person applications, users are required to visit either of the service centres to submit the required documentation.

At the moment, users applying online and in-person for the ETC service will need to visit either of the service centres for the installation of the OBU device.

ETC Service is a non-stop facility that saves the user time, as there is no stopping at the toll booths.

MTC Card

The user may choose to subscribe to the MTC Card online through the MOJA Expressway official website, or via the service centres at the Nairobi Expressway Plaza on Mombasa Road or Gitanga Road next to Maria Immaculata Hospital. 

For online applications, please visit www.nairobiexpressway.ke and upload the required documentation, then pay the applicable fees.

For in-person applications, users are required to visit either of the service centres to submit the required documentation.

At the moment, all users applying online and in-person for the MTC Card will need to visit either of the service centres for card activation.

MTC Card saves the user time as it is a “tap and go” service.

Toll fee payment options

We offer two main methods of toll fee payments: Cash and non-cash (ETC and MTC Card).

For ETC users, an OBU device will be installed on the windshield of your vehicle to enable a non-stop toll collection, which means you don't have to stop at the toll gate to pay toll fees. The system will automatically deduct toll points from your profile.

For MTC users, you can either pay with cash or get an MTC Card, whereby you will stop at the toll gate and present the card to the toll attendants for toll fee collection.

Top-up options

For both the ETC and the MTC services, you may top-up your accounts by visiting either of the Service Centres, through the MOJA website, or authorised bank applications. Other top-up options will be made available later.

Service centres

For your convenience, we have two modern service centres; one on Gitanga Road next to Maria Immaculata Hospital, and the other at the Nairobi Expressway Plaza on Mombasa Road, opposite the City Cabanas hotel. The centres are open seven days a week from 8am to 5pm.  

Contact us

For inquiries, please visit any of our service centres or send us an email through [email protected]. You may also call us through our hotline numbers: 0111039777 or 0114044315.

For more developments on the Nairobi Expressway, please follow us at Moja Expressway Company across all our social media platforms: Facebook (MojaExpressWayCo); Instagram (mojaexpresswayco); LinkedIn (Moja ExpressWay Company); Twitter (@mojaexpressway).  


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