The government of Japan, through its Embassy in Kenya, is seeking to support Kenya in improving its urban transport structure to help solve the menace of traffic congestion.
In an event dubbed “Japan-Kenya Urban Development & Transport Symposium”, the embassy said it will be seeking to share its experiences with traffic congestion and what Kenya needs to do to solve it.
“Traffic congestion is a serious social issue in Kenya. To resolve the issue, this symposium will share Japan’s experience/know-how on urban development and transport and discuss possibilities for future cooperation with Kenya,” said the embassy.
Read: Nairobi Railway City: A Panacea For City’s Traffic Woes
This symposium will be hosted by the Embassy of Japan and co-sponsored by the World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and will take place on January 24, 2023.
Japan’s move is one among many steps taken in the recent past to find a panacea for the ever-ailing urban transport in Kenya, especially in Nairobi.
In December 2022, President William Ruto launched the Kenya Railways City project in Nairobi to help revitalize rail transport and decongest the Nairobi CBD, whose status is worsened by overreliance on road transport.
The president said that the vision 2030 project would also enhance the southern expansion of Nairobi City as well as create jobs for youths.
A report released by the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority in 2019 indicated that Kenya lost an estimated $1 billion due to traffic congestion since a significant portion of productive hours were consumed on roads.
The report indicated that the major causes of the congestion is a lack of scheduled travel and the absence of an elaborate plan for non-motorized movements within the City.
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