More expressways will help increase Kenya's productivity

I occasionally use the Nairobi Expressway to the southern side of the city, normally called Mombasa Road. By the way, Kenyans are the only citizens on planet earth who live on roads, “nakaa Thika Road, ama Waiyaki way.” 

The expressway, except for the exit near the University of Nairobi, saves plenty of time. You get value for your money.

One evidence that people get value for their money is the money in their Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) cards. I normally check while queueing to pay. I don’t have ETC because I rarely use the expressway and don’t want anyone to “keep money for me.” 

Any time I use the expressway, I notice few, if any, matatus, yet they should be the key users, raising national productivity by moving as many people as possible in the shortest time possible.

Or do ordinary people not see the time value of money? It seems we see the expressway more as a sign of prestige, not means to higher economic productivity.

One wishes the country was full of other expressways to make our lives easier.

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Why no expressways in hospitalisation, schooling, farming, tax payment, logistics, and other services?

The time saved in getting express services can be put into better use.

Unintended consequence

That including resting. Have you noted we are brought up thinking resting is evil? 

Some could argue digitalisation is an example of service expressway and so is ChatGPT or Deepseek in AI.

The apps on our phone make our lives easier and livable just like the expressway.

Can the phone itself be a digital expressway? Think of possibilities on your phone today.

The ultimate bump on the expressway is our culture. Do we strive to be efficient? Do we appreciate technology?

Noted we no longer respond to phone calls or emails instantly? We have become so used to such technology with the unintended consequence of reducing the speed on the digital expressway.

We can have the best expressways, both physical and digital, but the ultimate determinant of the speed and the usefulness of the expressway is the people, either as service providers or users.

We are the weakest link in the expressways. We can even refuse to use expressways.

How many counties have a manual land rates payment system despite all the technology? Why? To allow for kickbacks?  

Expressways, both physical and digital, increase productivity and catalyse economic growth. Let’s have more of them!