Kenya and the U.K. are moving forward with plans to redevelop central Nairobi into a modern transport and commercial district, as officials review the next procurement steps for the long-planned Nairobi Railway City Project.
- •The Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, held talks in London with Tim Reid, chief executive of UK Export Finance, which is partnering with the Kenyan government to support upgrades to Nairobi’s commuter rail and road network.
- •The discussions focused on progress in procuring consultants and contractors for the construction of a new Nairobi Central Station, the centerpiece of the redevelopment.
- •The station is intended to anchor a multimodal transport hub modeled partly on the redevelopment of King’s Cross Station in the United Kingdom.
“On the sidelines of the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, we reviewed progress on the procurement of consultants and contractors for the construction of the Nairobi Central Station, a flagship project set to redefine urban mobility and unlock economic opportunities for the capital,” said CS Mudavadi.
The project centers on roughly 425 acres of largely underused land around Nairobi’s existing central rail station, most of it owned by Kenya Railways and related public entities. The redevelopment aims to convert the area into a high-density, transit-oriented district combining rail, bus, and pedestrian infrastructure with commercial, residential, and public space development.
Plans call for an expanded central station integrated with commuter rail, bus rapid transit corridors, and reorganized matatu terminals, alongside cycling and pedestrian networks designed to reduce reliance on private vehicles. The transport hub would sit just south of Nairobi’s central business district and about 11 kilometers from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Officials estimate the first phases could create roughly 5,000 construction jobs and a similar number of permanent roles once the district begins operating, while opening new retail and commercial space for small businesses.
Beyond transport upgrades, the redevelopment is intended to unlock high-value urban land and attract private investment, forming a new mixed-use economic center for Nairobi as the capital’s population and mobility demands continue to grow.
