THIKA HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT The Social/Community Component of the Analysis of the Thika Highway Improvement Project May 2012 Source: http://www.kenyacarbazaar.com/blog/firms-cut-off-thika-road-face-relocation/ 1 Executive Summary Transforming the road from Nairobi to Thika town into a super highway is one of Kenya’s first large-scale transportation infrastructure projects and is drawing mixed reactions. Funded by loans from the African Development Bank and the Chinese government, the project began in 2009 and was expected to be completed in July 2011. The perceptions and reactions of citizens who are seeing their lives transformed by the highway have not been part of most discussions about the highway, and little independent research has taken place on the impacts of the highway especially for non-motorists. The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara) and the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) at the Earth Institute at Columbia University have come together to examine emerging issues around the Thika Highway Improvement Project (THIP). Kara held a series of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for residents and users of the highway, along with a stakeholder meeting and public forum. The FGDs, stakeholder meeting, and public forum provided a platform for the public to give their views on the project planning and implementation, the socio-economic impact on their lives and livelihoods, their involvement or otherwise in the project, and issues of local planning and land use in relation to the project as well as any other concerns. In addition, there was the opportunity for dialogue with the officials implementing the project. From this series of discussions, it is clear that many Kenyans welcome and appreciate the THIP and its anticipated benefits, but there are gaps in the project process and implementation. As this is the first superhighway being built in Kenya, it is important that lessons are drawn from the gaps so appropriate and necessary measures are taken to ensure that future projects live up to the expectations of all the key stakeholders, including the general public. In particular, this work has highlighted the need to harness users’ and residents’ knowledge base for the project including on how to safely access and use the superhighway and the land around it. It has also highlighted the urgent need for the government to provide more information on such transportation projects and to adopt more of a context-sensitive approach to road building that takes into account existing land uses, environment and the local economy. This means getting more input from users and those affected by the road prior to design and construction in line with international standards of Context Sensitive Design, especially safety. Introduction The transformation of the road from Nairobi to Thika town into a super highway is one of Kenya’s first large-scale transportation infrastructure projects. Currently, it is drawing mixed reactions from the neighboring residents and users of the road. Funded by loans from the African Development Bank and the Chinese government, the project began in 2009 following the signing 1 of an agreement between the Government of Kenya and three Chinese construction firms. It was 2 expected to be completed in July 27, 2011. While it initially attracted excitement and praise, 1 Further information regarding the firm names, contract sums and other construction details have been posted at the Government of Kenya Ministry of Roads’ website http://www.roads.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=27 and are described in Appendix I. 2 The Government of Kenya Ministry of Roads’ website states July 27, 2011 as the completion date. This information was last accessed on their website (website link in previous footnote) on May 16, 2012. 2 some complaints have emerged. However, the perceptions and reactions of citizens who are seeing their lives transformed by the highway have not been part of most discussions about the highway, and little independent research has taken place on the impacts of the highway especially for non-motorists. To fill this gap, Kara and the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) at the Earth Institute at Columbia University have come together to examine emerging issues around the Thika Highway Improvement Project (THIP). This work is part of a larger interdisciplinary research consortium with the University of Nairobi’s (UoN) Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology’s (JKUAT) Highway, Geotechnical and Transportation Division.3By bringing in the voices and views of citizens impacted by the highway project alongside more technical studies, this collaborative effort complements the overall work of the research consortium, which also is examining the road designs, land use and environmental impacts of the Thika Highway Improvement Project. Within this larger examination of the Thika Highway project, Kara’s role was to hold six Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for residents and users of the highway. Kara ‘divided’ the highway into six sections and held one FGD in each of the following areas: 1. Parklands/ Pangani area (August 3, 2011, Impala Hotel – Nairobi, 13 Participants); 2. Muthaiga, Utalii, Kasarani (August 10, 2011 at Sportsview Hotel –Kasarani, 24 Participants); 3. Githurai, Kahawa, Weomererie (August 17, 2011 at Sportsview Hotel –Kasarani, 20 Participants); 4. Kenyatta University/ Ruiru (August 24, 2011 at Digithu Hotel – Ruiru, 52 Participants); 5. Juja(September 1, 2011 at Senate Hotel – Juja, 50 Participants); and 6. Thika (September 7, 2011 at Coconut Grill Hotel – Thika, 33 Participants).4 The FGDs provided a platform for the public to give their views on the project planning and implementation, the socio-economic impact on their lives and livelihoods, their involvement or otherwise in the project, and issues of local planning and land use in relation to the project as well as any other concerns. On October 11, 2011, the FGDs were followed by a stakeholders’ forum at the Pan Afric Hotel in Nairobi. This forum presented the issues emerging from the FGDs to 28 invited participants, particularly from professional groups, and provided a platform for further discussion and development of recommendations for addressing the challenges. Professor Evaristus Irandu from the University of Nairobi’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and a member of the research consortium also presented his team’s preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment study. 3 The research consortium is organized by CSUD and is made possible with funding from the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations. 4 See Appendices VI, VII, and VIII for full information on the participants of the FGDs, stakeholder meeting and public forum. 3 In order to obtain views from a wider audience and hear from Government officers in charge of the Thika Highway Improvement Project, especially from the Ministry of Roads (which is responsible for coordinating the project), an open public forum was organized on October 25, 2011 at the Pan Afric Hotel. The event was advertised in the newspapers and through Kara’s networks. The salience of the issue was clear, as 152 participants showed up. At the forum, findings from the FGDs and stakeholders forum were presented and participants had an opportunity to raise any other issues they felt needed addressing. The forum was attended by the Director General of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) (the Government agency responsible for the oversight of the THIP), Eng. Meshack Kidenda, and the Team Leader of the THIP project from the Ministry of Roads (the Government Agency responsible for coordinating activities undertaken by KeNHA), Eng. John Mwatu. The forum provided the government officers a valuable opportunity to hear directly from and engage with the public. The following report provides the methodology, findings and analysis of Kara’s work in collaboration with CSUD. The hope is that this will help improve both the process and outcomes of the ongoing and very important transportation infrastructure projects in the country in line with Kenya Vision 2030. We also hope it demonstrates the importance of more independent research, monitoring and citizens engagement with government in transportation projects. Background to the Thika Highway Improvement Project The Nairobi-Thika Corridor (also called the Thika Road) is in the northeast of the Nairobi Metropolitan Region (NMR) and extends from Nairobi City Center to Thika District. The trunk road currently serves as a main cargo route and an important metropolitan, regional and international transit link and is part of the classified international trunk road A2, which originates in Nairobi City Center and extends to Moyale, Ethiopia. The road also acts as a main artery for various satellite towns and economic hubs that lie along and near the corridor, including Ruaraka, Kasarani, Kiambu Town, Githurai, Ruiru, Juja and Thika. A great deal of economic activity occurs in this area, ranging from manufacturing and entrepreneurial ventures and real estate developments to coffee, tea, horticultural and flower farming. There is also a vibrant informal sector: the clearest example being Githurai where anything, from sneakers to coal to bananas, is for sale. Thika Road is one of the most traveled corridors in the NMR. Given the limited housing options within Nairobi proper, many prefer to live in more affordable accommodations in these peri-urban and smaller urban areas while continuing to access services and jobs in Nairobi. Thika Road is one of the main roads that allow people to access employment, education and other services in Nairobi’s central business district as well as in Westlands and Parklands. A 2006 traffic count revealed that Nairobi-Thika Road carries around 60,000 vehicles per day (JICA 2006). The problems currently plaguing commuters, residents and business owners along Thika Road include heavy congestion, dilapidated infrastructure, poor air quality, and high accident and fatality rates and are illustrative of the broader urban transportation problems that characterize the entire metropolitan area.