NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi County has approved plans to construct the city’s first underground railway line beneath the Central Business District (CBD) to Eastlands, marking a significant milestone in efforts to modernise public transport and ease chronic traffic congestion.
The approval was made during the 90th County Executive Committee (CEC) meeting chaired by Governor Johnson Sakaja, which endorsed the implementation framework for the first phase of the Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System (NMRTS).
Under the approved framework, the initial phase of the project will feature an underground rail core passing beneath the CBD and extending to the Eastlands corridor, one of Nairobi’s busiest commuter routes.
Governor Sakaja said the project is designed to transform urban mobility while boosting economic growth and promoting sustainable transport.
“By integrating an underground CBD core with high-capacity links to Eastlands, we will unlock Nairobi’s economic potential, lower the cost of transport and build a cleaner, greener and world-class city,” Sakaja said on Wednesday.
According to the county government, the underground railway will provide a high-capacity public transport system capable of moving thousands of commuters daily between the city centre and eastern suburbs.
Officials said the project is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion within the CBD by encouraging more commuters to shift from private vehicles and road-based public transport to rail.
The underground line forms part of the broader Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System, a long-term transport strategy aimed at integrating rail, bus and other public transport modes to improve mobility across the capital.
Further details, including project timelines, financing arrangements and construction schedules, are expected to be announced as implementation plans progress.
