KENYA’S URBAN Mobility Plans Have Suffered A Major Blow After The U.S. Government Cancelled Funding For A Ksh7.76 Billion Geographic Information System (GIS) Platform Designed To Manage Nairobi’s Transport Data And Ease The Capital’s Chronic Traffic Congestion.
Details Of The Setback Were Revealed In The National Treasury’s Energy, Infrastructure And ICT Sector Working Group Report For FY 2026/27–2028/29. The Report Confirms That Several Nairobi Transport Projects Under The Kenya Millennium Development Fund (KMDF) Have Stalled Due To Shifts In U.S. Foreign Aid Policy—Delays That Have Disrupted Progress On The City’s Multimodal Transport System.
The GIS Platform, A Flagship Project Under The Nairobi Metropolitan Area (NMA) Modernization Agenda, Was Expected To Streamline Data On Traffic Flow, Infrastructure, And Long-Term Urban Planning. Despite Being Launched In 2023 Following President William Ruto’s Visit To Washington And A Deal With Then–U.S. President Joe Biden, The Project Has Reached Just 30% Completion.
Initially, The U.S. Had Committed Ksh5.8 Billion Of The Total Budget, With Kenya Contributing Ksh1.56 Billion. The Platform Was Scheduled For Completion By June 2027 And Was Intended To Reduce Congestion, Improve Transport Coordination, And Support Greener, Safer Mobility Options Across The Metropolitan Area.
Beyond Transport, The GIS Initiative Was Part Of Broader Partnerships Covering Trade, Security, Healthcare, Education, And Climate Collaboration Between The Two Countries. However, The Shift In U.S. Priorities—Accelerated By Policy Changes Under President Donald Trump—Has Slowed Or Halted Multiple Bilateral Programmes, Including Various USAID Projects.
The Treasury Now Indicates That The Stalled Work May Be Reassessed Under The Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) In The Next Fiscal Year, Pending Resolution Of External Funding Challenges.
If Revived, The Project Still Holds Potential To Transform Nairobi’s Transport System—But For Now, Progress Remains Uncertain.
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