Embakasi Train Chronicles - Part I

Most recently, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the refurbished rail network inNairobi that serves Embakasi, Ruiru, Kikuyu and Syokimau lines. 

I commuted using the Embakasi - CBD train today 19th November 2020 and one thing I wasn't happy about is purchasing tickets at the Embakasi Fedha/Pipeline station. 

By 7AM the queue had stretched all the way to the Avenue Park gate. Shortly after 7.05AM passengers could not contain the anxiety of missing the morning train (mark you only 2 staff were selling tickets through a square inch window) - and with lot's of loose change issues. 

Murmurs grew by the minute as 7.10AM boarding time approached. At exactly 7.09AM this writer loudly called out "let's board the train, we'll get tickets in there".. like it was a war cry, passengers over ran the one-person-at-a-time entry in time to board the 7.10AM train. 

Surprisingly, inside the train there were ticket people in almost 1 for every 2 coaches, selling tickets at Kes. 40.00 one way ticket. 

The Embakasi line train starts the journey from Nyayo Embakasi (on the by pass side), makes stops in Pipeline/Fedha, Donholm and Makadara stations arriving at the central railway station at the central business districts some few minutes to 8AM.

At the CBD, commuters choose to either board Nairobi Commuter Buses to Upper Hill, Westlands or Ngong Road or board public buses (Matatus) available across town. 

The Nairobi Commuter Buses at the time of this article charge Kes 50.00 - passing through Hailey Sellasie Avenue, Uhuru Highway and on to Ngong Road for those heading to Upper Hill and through Waiyaki Way for those heading to Westlands. 

For me, I work at Westlands and so it worked perfectly, the bus stopped at Delta Corner.

It is quite a hustle for those who have to alight up the road opposite ParkInn by Radisson and walk back now that the elevated road is under construction

Corporate: Safaricom is testing a new payment card

Safaricom is testing a payment card that will be linked to customers’ M-Pesa accounts as it eyes a slice of transaction commissions from the multi-billion shilling electronic cash industry.
The telecommunications company today announced that it is piloting the card among its staff to complement its Lipa na M-pesa service.
 
Its launch is expected “in the coming months.”
 
Plans are also underway to extend the pilot to university students, allowing users to make payments at select merchants.
 
The M-Pesa debit cards and point of sale (POS) terminals will enable customers to pay for services much faster through the use of Near Field Communication NFC tap-and-go technology-- a short range, high frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 cm distance.
 
Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said the card under pilot meets all current banking security standards and has received necessary approvals from regulators.
 
“As the M-Pesa ecosystem continues to expand, we continue to test the boundaries of the service to identify how we can continue to extend the gains of the platform to an increasing number of customers and businesses,” said Mr Collymore in a statement.
 
This is the third stab the leading mobile provider is making on the card payments business after launching the My 1963 cashless fare payment card in November 2014 and a prepaid Visa card in partnership with I&M Bank in 2011.
 
To walk alone
 
Unlike previous attempts where it enlisted partners, this time the company has decided to walk alone.
 
The telco did not disclose whether there will be any fees chargeable on its NFC based card.
 
Safaricom customers currently pay varied fees for using the Lipa na M-Pesa service.
 
Those using the platform to buy fuel for example pay a 0.5 per cent commission on the value of every payment made.
 
By March 2016, over Sh20 billion in payments had been made on the Lipa Na M-Pesa platform, with more than 44,000 merchants accepting the service, an increase of 74 per cent from the previous year.
 
The launch of the M-Pesa linked payment card is likely yet again to put Safaricom on a head-to-head competition with financial institutions and comes on the backdrop of an announcement by commercial banks that they are setting up a mobile money transfer platform that will rival Safaricom’s M-Pesa.


source: Business Daily

Property Focus: Kenya Re Towers, Nairobi - Upper Hill

This relatively new property is situated along an unnamed access road, ap-proximately 100 metres off Ragati Road in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area. It is identified as Kenya Re Towers adjacent to the European Union and opposite the Japanese Embassy. The property is in neighbourhood of Britak Centre and Rahimtullah Towers among others.

This outstanding masterpiece with steel and glass cladding finishes is home to major corporate like Bamburi Cement, Ernst & Young, Kenya Tourist Board, Kenya Roads Board and diplomatic institutions like the IMF among others. There is a cafeteria on the ground floor and a candy shop on the parking level. 

It is a twin tower building with one tower rising to 10 office floors and another one with six (6) floors. There are three (3) upper parking floors and one (1) basement parking floor.

The building is served by a standby generator, modern panoramic lifts and bo-rehole water supply.

The building is connected to the fibre network for communications

Upper Hill Nairobi now host to Africa's Tallest Building

Upper Hill Nairobi now host to Africa's Tallest Tower


Construction of Hass Tower 1 in Nairobi has started,  with the excavation that has been going on since November last year almost complete. Hass Tower 1 is a 66-floors mixed-use high-rise building under construction on a 3-acre plot located in Nairobi’s Upper Hill — dubbed Africa’s fastest rising high-end central business district.




Once complete the building will rise 300m (980ft), making it the tallest building in Africa after the 50-floor South Africa’s Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, as of now the tallest building in sub-Saharan Africa at 223m (732ft). Currently,  the tallest completed building in Kenya is the 33-floor UAP towers at 163 m (535 ft).


Interestingly, 40 storeys Hass Tower 2 will be built on the same plot to make a twin tower property once complete. The project, designed jointly by Archgroup and Meinhardt Group, will consist of a 40 storied luxury hotel tower, a 66 storied office tower, class A retail space, a helipad and a parking.
source: EastAfrican.com