Kenya's Chinese-built expressway nominated for regional award

NAIROBI, Sep 26: The Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway in Kenya has been nominated for the award of the "best technological innovation in transport" in the second edition of Africa Mashariki Awards, said organizers in a notice Monday.

In particular, the company that operates the expressway has been nominated for its electronic toll collection (ETC) system, an innovation that allows motorists to seamlessly pay for using the expressway.

To use the service, one registers by providing a copy of their identity card and logbook, and their vehicles are fitted with a chip through which they would be topping up cash to pay for the service.

The ETC system has become attractive to motorists since it saves time as one doesn't need to queue to pay for the service and MOJA Expressway Company, which manages the modern thoroughfare, offers discounts.

"To vote for us, register an account, select a category, fill in the required information and click vote," MOJA informed users in the notice.

The nomination comes as the 27 km expressway that stretches from south to west of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi continues to record success in usage.

Steve Zhao, the chief executive officer of MOJA Expressway Company, said recently that the road's traffic volume since inception in 2022 has exceeded 20 million vehicles, with the average traffic volume hitting 65,000 per day.

The transport awards are the first of their kind in East Africa and aim to celebrate excellence in the industry, according to organizers who include various government agencies in the sector among them the National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.