Sakaja to do away with Uhuru-era Sh250m Green Park terminus
Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja (inset) had commissioned the Green Park terminal (pictured) on December 1, 2022. He said efforts to get long-distance matatus to operate from the terminus had failed.
What you need to know:
- Sakaja's announcement comes after a failed attempt to force long-distance matatus to use the terminus.
- The bus terminal, which was commissioned by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, has a number of facilities including a Level 2 hospital, a police station and a restaurant.
The Sh250 million Green Park Terminus built by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) is to be flattened and the land "transformed into a world-class conference centre".
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said in an interview on Citizen TV that efforts to get the long-distance matatus to operate from the terminus had failed.
“It is the most prime land in the whole of East Africa. It was not supposed to be a bus terminus. All the trials that have been carried out have failed due to the human mass passing and the matatus. For the long-distance vehicles, it looked like it would work and it was working until there was interference, and so we said (we’ll) leave that,” Mr Sakaja said.
Mr Sakaja also said there were a number of investors who had already expressed interest in building hotels and conferences on the land.
“I sat down with my team and decided what Nairobi City is trying to do. We are trying to be global capital. You have seen the Kigali Conference Center. I have already approved the exit of the expressway into the CBD. You just get from the airport (and) within five minutes you are at a conference centre that has amenities. We are going to have a private-public partnership,” he added.
Failed attempt
Mr Sakaja's announcement comes after a failed attempt to force long-distance matatus to use the terminus.
The operators had complained of discrimination following the directive.
They had also sued the county government after Mr Sakaja officially opened the terminus for use.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had also spoken out against the directive. Mr Gachagua had threatened to have Mr Sakaja impeached and removed from office for threatening Mount Kenya operators.
The bus terminal, which was commissioned by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, has a number of facilities including a Level 2 hospital, a police station and a restaurant.
A number of traders had also bought stalls at the terminal in anticipation of its opening.
Urban planning experts have pointed out that several planning errors led to the failure of the project. These include the wrong location and conflicts with neighbouring areas. The bus terminal is also small, making it difficult to accommodate a large number of matatus.
A contractor who carried out the projects says he is owed more than Sh50 million for the construction and equipment of the terminus.
