Hospital, urban roads authority on collision path over footbridge

Nairobi Hospital CEO James Nyamongo stands between a footbridge being built near the hospital's cancer Center on July 14, 2022. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

A row is brewing between Nairobi Hospital and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) over the construction of a footbridge.

The bridge is being constructed on Ngong Road across Kenyatta and the Nairobi hospitals.

Nairobi Hospital's management wants the footbridge removed, saying it will expose the public to potential risks of radioactivity and endangers the safety of the hospital’s patients and staff.

James Nyamongo, Nairobi Hospital's chief executive, said the footbridge poses a security and safety risk as it terminates near the Cancer Treatment Centre.

‘‘The footbridge exposes the public to potential risks of radioactive exposure and endangers the hospital’s patients and staff,’’ said Nyamongo.

“It also exposes our power and oxygen plants to potential terrorist or other criminal attacks. The project was suspended following the concerns raised but construction resumed recently.”

But Kura has dismissed the hospital saying there was adequate public participation on the project and the hospital gave its view on the matter by requesting the bridge to be moved 50 metres from the original location, "and it was done.”

The roads agency said it engaged multi-national security and environmental agencies on the matter and they advised on modifying the 28-metre bridge.

“Nairobi Hospital is not the only facility in that vicinity and we consider the sensitivity of the location,” Kura said in a statement.

The agency said public safety is at the core of its mandate. “And thus we cannot stop undertaking the footbridge construction, which after completion will save lives.”

It said the statistics of the pedestrians knocked down around the area are alarming and thus a footbridge is urgently needed to avert more deaths.

John Cheboi, Kura's head of communication said they cannot compromise the lives of pedestrians crossing the road. "Public safety is at the core of our mandate and we cannot stop undertaking a project which saves lives," said Cheboi. 

Nyamongo, however, argues that while the hospital supports the urgent need for safe crossing of pedestrians on Ngong Road, the hospital wants Kura to relocate the footbridge to a safe distance, 500 metres away from the installations.

‘‘Since February last year, the hospital has engaged in a series of consultative meetings with government representatives but the mitigation measures agreed upon have not been implemented. They have ignored the advice of the nuclear regulatory agency regarding the safety of the radioactive facilities,’’ Nyamongo said.

But Cheboi said like any other project undertaken in Kenya, the public and stakeholder consultation was done and all issues raised by the hospital considered.

The hospital has threatened to go to court.