NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 5 is now at the final approval stage at the National Treasury, raising hopes that the long-delayed airport link project could soon break ground.
The announcement followed a courtesy call by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Kenya, Kang Hyung-shik, who reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to finance and construct the corridor linking Nairobi’s Central Business District to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“More than six decades later, Korea is preparing to establish a permanent mission in Nairobi’s Lavington area — a symbolic and strategic step that mirrors the deepening infrastructure collaboration now shaping the city’s transport future,” a statement from the county reads.
Once complete, BRT Line 5 is expected to ease chronic congestion along Mombasa Road, reduce daily commuter costs, create jobs during construction and operations, and improve access to JKIA — a critical gateway for trade and tourism.
The corridor will deploy 30 high-capacity buses with the ability to carry approximately 4,200 passengers per hour per direction during peak hours, according to project briefs.
The system forms part of Nairobi’s broader five-corridor BRT masterplan aimed at modernising public transport across the metropolitan area.
The wider BRT network includes:
- Line 1 (Ndovu): Limuru – Kangemi – CBD – Imara Daima – Athi River – Kitengela
- Line 2 (Simba): Rongai – Bomas – CBD – Ruiru – Thika – Kenol
- Line 3 (Chui): Tala – Njiru – Dandora – CBD – Showground – Ngong
- Line 4 (Kifaru): Mama Lucy Hospital – Donholm – CBD – T-Mall – Bomas – Karen – Kikuyu
- Line 5: CBD – JKIA via Mombasa Road
Since its conception in 2018, the BRT programme has faced funding and implementation delays.
However, renewed momentum followed a Sh7.6 billion loan agreement in 2024 between the Kenyan government and the Export-Import Bank of Korea to kick-start Line 5 construction.
The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) subsequently invited tenders for the corridor works.
The project has also benefited from partnerships with the European Investment Bank, the European Union, and the French Development Agency, reflecting a multi-donor approach to urban mobility reform.
Governor Sakaja’s update comes amid sustained pressure to address Nairobi’s traffic gridlock, which costs the city billions of shillings annually in lost productivity and fuel consumption.
Urban planners argue that a functioning BRT system would align with Kenya’s climate commitments by reducing carbon emissions and promoting mass transit over private car use.
Beyond transport, Ambassador Kang announced that South Korea plans to establish a permanent diplomatic mission in Nairobi’s Lavington area, deepening ties that date back to 1964 when Korea opened its first Sub-Saharan diplomatic mission in Kenya.
