Thika Road BRT Project to be Revived After 4 Years

The Thika Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to be revived after a four-year pause. This comes as a welcome relief for area residents who struggle with daily traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours.

This is after Parliament allocated Ksh3 billion to settle outstanding dues owed to the contractor for the pilot phase. This allocation will also cover the completion of the remaining works on the 27km BRT line, ‘Simba,’ which runs from Ruiru to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) via the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

The project was initiated in 2020 under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime but stalled shortly after a highly energised launch. The government spent a total of Ksh2 billion setting up a number of island terminus stations along Thika Road. 

The initial phase of the Nairobi BRT system focuses on the Thika Road corridor, also known as Line 2. The project began in August 2020 with an expected completion date of June 2022.

However, the contractor, the Chinese firm Stecol Corporation, abandoned the project mid-way after the government failed to provide additional funds to finalise the BRT system. 

The final stages of the projects will involve the redesigning of the innermost lanes on both sides of Thika Road so that it will be exclusively accessed by BRT buses. This will allow the high-capacity passenger buses to bypass regular traffic congestion. 

Passengers can prepay fares at stations, which are designed for quick boarding and disembarking, minimising delays.

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Revival Efforts

In addition to the government's Ksh3 billion commitment, Kenya anticipates receiving Ksh1 billion in external funding to support the project.

The revival of the Thika Road BRT project is a positive step towards improving public transportation in Nairobi. By offering a faster, more reliable commuting option, the BRT system has the potential to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

A BRT bus will have the capacity to carry between 100 and 300 passengers - which is expected to reduce the reliance on small-capacity private cars and 14-seater matatus that have been partially blamed for the worsening traffic congestion in Nairobi. 

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Kenya Power Announces  Update for 7 Million Prepaid Metres by August 31st

Kenya Power is undertaking an update for all 7 million of their prepaid token metres. To ensure uninterrupted electricity access, all customers must update their metres by August 31, 2024. 

This update is set to address an expiring software issue and maintains the security of the Standard Transfer Specification (STS) used for token transfers.

During the update process, Kenya Power will send two unique codes to customers via SMS, similar to the token codes they're familiar with. 

One code resets the metre, while the other updates the software. Customers can follow the instructions provided in the SMS to enter these codes directly on their metre before loading new tokens.

Those who haven't recently purchased tokens will still receive the update codes to ensure their metres are ready. Existing tokens won't be usable after the update if not loaded beforehand. So, it's important to use any remaining tokens before initiating the update. 

Kenya Power has emphasised that the update process is free and won't disrupt normal token purchases during the update period. However, failing to update by the deadline will render your metre unable to accept new tokens, potentially disrupting your electricity supply.

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