Infrastructure

State Seeks Korean Firm for Sh7.3bn Nairobi BRT project

Kura invites Korean builders to bid for the Outer Ring Road BRT project.

Updated on

September 25, 2024

A group of Korean construction workers. Photo: Yonhap

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) is seeking a Korean firm to build a Sh7.3 billion Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 5 on Outer Ring Road to enhance Nairobi’s transit network.

Kura has imposed a tender condition favouring Korean firms after receiving a Sh7.6 billion loan with a quid pro quo (something for something) from the Export-Import Bank of Korea toward establishing the special rapid bus route.

On Tuesday, the authority invited bids from eligible bidders for the project, stating that bidding is “restricted to firms from the Republic of Korea only” and will be conducted in line with the Economic Development Cooperation Fund guidelines.

Bidders who wish to participate must collect and review the bidding documents from the agency’s director general’s office at Barabara Plaza in Nairobi.

“A complete set of bidding documents may be purchased by any interested bidder on the submission of a written application and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Sh50,000,” Kura said in a notice.

A pre-bidding meeting is scheduled for October 15 at the agency’s offices, followed by a required site visit to the proposed BRT corridor and depot construction site.

All bids will be opened on November 19.

Bidders must have completed at least two similar projects within the last ten years and show adequate financial capacity to qualify.

“Net worth for the last three years shall be positive respectively,” Kura said.

Those seeking prequalification as a project contractor, manager or subcontractor should have handled at least two construction sites in the last decade, with each of the projects having been completed with a value of not less than Sh2.6 billion.

Applicants are also required to demonstrate sufficient financial capacity, including liquid and real assets and credit lines, to meet a cash flow requirement of Sh650 million.

The BRT Line 5 project, scheduled to commence in January 2025, involves the construction of a two-lane BRT line along a 10.4-kilometre stretch.

It will also involve constructing three river bridges and two overpass bridges, measuring approximately 1,024 metres and 323 metres, respectively.

The project will create 13 BRT stations, new and upgraded footbridges, and electromechanical installations, along with a drainage system, street lighting, landscaping, and other approved enhancements.

A 1,365-square-metre BRT depot will be constructed, serving as the operational hub with parking, access roads, fencing, and electromechanical works.

The plan also includes electric vehicles with charging stations, and the buses will feature advanced technologies like vehicle tracking and surveillance systems.

In 2022, Kura signed a Sh583 million consultancy contract with the Korean Consortium, led by Kunhwa Engineering & Consulting Co. Ltd., for the establishment of the line, dubbed Nyati.

This line runs from the site of the demolished Taj Mall on North Airport Road to the GSU headquarters in Ruaraka, off Thika Road.