Twelve Parking Yards identified for Upgrading to RSS in Kenya

A multi-stakeholder team led by the Northern Corridor Secretariat has identified twelve parking facilities along the Northern Corridor in Kenya that were found to have amenities that may be upgraded into Roadside Stations (RSS).

The exercise came as a result of a directive by the Northern Corridor Council of Ministers in response to the lack of adequate facilities for rest, medical care, maintenance, parking, and sanitation along the corridor routes; especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The absence of adequate facilities has seen high numbers of accidents within the Northern Corridor region due to fatigue and growing incidences of diseases such as HIV/AIDs, Ebola, and now COVID-19 spreading across borders.

The identified parking yards with facilities similar to the Northern Corridor RSS designs that could be upgraded included Shell and Premium Energy Bonje; Maungu Lorry Park by Taita Taveta County Government; Sparkle Centre located in Mtito Andei; Darussalam Hotel and parking facility located in Mtito Andei; Delamere Holding Shop Point in Naivasha; Shell Salgaa at Salgaa; and Uasin Gishu Lorry Park by the County Government of Uasin Gishu located at Jua Kali.  Other proposed parking yards viable for upgrade to RSS but were at conception stage were KeNHA land in Sultan Hamud; Shell and Premium Energy in Mai Mahiu; Mundika Trailer Park - Busia County Government Project; Malaba Park by Busia County Government; and Kikopey yard between Nakuru and Gilgil.

The private sector has invested in facilities similar to RSS though uncoordinated.

Since its inception in 2014, the implementation of the Northern Corridor RSS program has been ongoing despite the slow pace. The momentum in developing the required regulatory frameworks for investing in RSS by the public sector has been declining, however, the private sector has invested in facilities similar to RSS; though uncoordinated.

A study carried out at the inception of the program had identified 141 locations for RSS out of which 67 were considered as priority locations. Out of the 67 priority locations identified along the Northern Corridor, 22 were in Kenya. The study also provided financial projections and their financial models for their development.

National Governments through their agencies should support Private Sector players and County Governments in the realization of the RSS projects by developing regulations on RSS, providing incentives to investors and providing funding for the projects.

The Northern Corridor Secretariat had developed the RSS Regional Guidelines to ensure common designs for RSS are kept along the Corridor; as such, templates are available to be used by the Members States in developing their respective National Guidelines.

The multi-disciplinary survey team tasked the Northern Corridor Secretariat to follow up with potential investors the development and upgrading of their parking yards to suit the Northern Corridor recommended RSS standards. The team also urged KeNHA and County Governments to enhance their collaboration in developing RSS facilities and ensuring that road designs take into consideration the proposed RSS facilities and standards. In Kenya, KeNHA is expected to take the lead and hire consultancy services to develop the RSS National Guidelines.

The survey also recommended a Task Force and Steering Committee comprising members from the Ministry of EAC and Regional Development, the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Land, Ministry of Health, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Unit, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Private Sector as well as County Government representatives to be revived to spearhead the process of developing the RSS legal framework.

As a way forward, Kenya Revenue Authority promised to facilitate the accreditation and geo-fencing processes of the facilities that were identified during the survey to serve as RSS along the Northern Corridor.