Tourists had best not drive in Kenyan capital

Traffic is becoming such a pressing problem in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, that residents, let alone tourists, are finding it increasingly frustrating to navigate their way through this urban centre’s gridlocked streets. The Associated Press (AP) spoke with Vitalis Odhiambo, one of Nairobi’s residents, who told journalists that he chose to walk for 10km each and every day to work, simply because this was often the fastest form of transportation. Cars and buses fill all major roads in the city, rendering both public transit, as well as individual cars an especially slow form of transportation.

Local officials now believe that Nairobi’s traffic problems set the capital city back by as much as $460, due to a combination of decreased productivity and pollution problems. This situation is especially problematic for business owners, corporate managers and those in the commercial tourism industry, because less productivity results in lower revenues. The situation has become so dire, that some prominent business community leaders see no other solution but to move the nation’s capital to another city. While there is almost no chance of this taking place in the near future, Mutula Kilonzo, an official in charge of reforming Nairobi’s transportation network, agreed that urgent changes were needed. “If we don’t do anything to decongest Nairobi soon, I have no doubt it will come to a standstill in a decade,” explained Kilonzo, thus highlighting the urgency of what is rapidly turning into an urban crisis.

Thank you to Malkhadir M. Muhumed of the Associated Press for the initial report.