Sakaja Reveals Nairobi’s Underground Rail Line Funding
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has stated that the first phase of the subterranean train line from the Central Business District (CBD) to Eastlands will cost more than Ksh1 trillion.
Sakaja testified before the Senate National Security Committee on Thursday, July 23, that the Nairobi Mass Rapid Transit System (NMRTS) had won Cabinet clearance as the city sought a long-term solution to congestion.
According to Sakaja, the first phase of the project will cost at least Ksh1 trillion (USD7.78 billion), with finance expected from various stakeholders.
“I will be very happy to share with you what is so clear on phase one of what we need,” Sakaja stated.
“It is USD7.78 billion (Ksh1trillion). But the USD7.78 billion has been broken down into different components of financing.”
The Nairobi County Government has officially approved the implementation framework for the city’s first underground railway network to ease heavy traffic jams and transform urban mobility.
The pioneer line will connect CBD to Eastlando, before follow-up connections later on to… pic.twitter.com/Jh6Kr0qEso— Pamoja Road Safety ⛑️ (@CFCJoes) July 22, 2026
According to the Governor, the project will be sponsored by the national government, pension funds, and transportation-related development programs.
The national government will contribute at least Ksh388 billion towards the project.
However, additional funding would be raised through land value capture, where increased land value around transport corridors is used to support infrastructure development.
In Nairobi, going underground is easy because we have very few services underground. The Mayor of London even told me he was jealous – Sakaja pic.twitter.com/uYlwNVP00m— Kenyans.co.ke (@Kenyans) July 23, 2026
“Some is coming from the pension funds. Some will come from transport-oriented development because of land value capture,” Sakaja told the committee.
“Some of it will come from government, at least USD 3 billion (Ksh388 billion).”
The announcement comes a day after the Nairobi County Cabinet approved plans for the railway line, which will be the first ever constructed in the country.
The first phase will include an underground rail core through the CBD and the Eastlands Line, connecting key commuter routes in the city.
“We are going to turn Nairobi into a 20-minute city…” Nairobi Governor Sakaja unveils his underground railway line system pic.twitter.com/Hi7BX5uKmO— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 23, 2026
“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, July 22.
Plans for a metro system, Sakaja said, date back to 1948, when Nairobi planners proposed a ring railway and CBD rail links.
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Similar proposals were later included in the 1972 Nairobi Metropolitan Growth Strategy and the 2014 Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Plan, but were never implemented.
The Governor said a project management unit will be established to oversee implementation.
He added that previous feasibility studies by international partners, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), had provided a foundation for the project.
He further revealed that Nairobi’s underground conditions make it suitable for tunnelling, arguing that the city faces fewer underground utility challenges than older global cities.
Sakaja cited the construction of the underground crossing at Haile Selassie Avenue and Uhuru Highway as an example of Nairobi’s ability to undertake underground infrastructure projects.
The proposed metro system will be integrated with other transport modes, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines and non-motorised transport networks, as part of efforts to create a more efficient urban transport system.
Sakaja Reveals Nairobi’s Underground Rail Line Funding
