Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway in Kenya nominated for transport infrastructure award

NAIROBI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's newly-built Nairobi Expressway has been nominated for the "transportation infrastructure of the year award" at the inaugural Afrika Mashariki Awards, the Moja Expressway Company that manages the road said on Monday in a statement.

The nomination comes a few weeks after the 27km road was put on trial before its official launch by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Its use has brought new opportunities to commuter bus operators in Kenya, who have started new routes, while motorists are enjoying shorter travel time.

The inaugural Afrika Mashariki Transport Awards is the first of its kind in East Africa and it aims to celebrate excellence in the transport industry, according to organizers who include private firms as well as various government agencies in the sector, among them the National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.

The award ceremony will be preceded by a nomination night and a three-day transport expo.

"Transport is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives, whether it's arriving at work or school on time or receiving vital deliveries," the organizers said in a brief.