The Kenyan government has signed a 60 million dollar deal (ksh8.7 billion) with America’s Millennium Change Corporation to facilitate the purchase of electric buses to be used in the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) in Kenya.

During the signing of the deal between Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u and MCC CEO Alice Albright, witnessed by President William Ruto in New York.

President Ruto said that the buses which will operate in lane 2 of the BRT will ease congestion in the Nairobi Metropolitan area.

“The Kenya Urban Mobility and Growth Threshold Program seeks to assist Kenya in addressing limited connectivity in urban areas, a critical constraint to inclusive economic growth.

“Analysis, conducted jointly by MCC and the Government of Kenya, revealed that Kenya’s urban areas—particularly in the capital city, Nairobi—did not enjoy the significant productivity gains frequently associated with urbanization,” MCC said in a statement on its website.

The president also revealed that the government plans to work on a rail system for Nairobi to ease the burden of congression on the public transport system.

“We are also working on a rail system around Nairobi and we have built 28 stations out of a possible 38.” said the Ruto.

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier announced the government’s plan to revive the construction of the stalled Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

“We are working with the National Treasury to ensure prompt settlement of pending bills owed to the contractor to enable him to resume work within the next two months with a target of December 2024 as the completion date,” said Murkomen.

In December 2019, the MCC Board of Directors selected Kenya as eligible to develop a second threshold program. After several years of collaboration on the design of projects.

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