A number of motorists were left counting losses on the afternoon of Thursday, July 24, following violent clashes between rival youth groups along Outering Road in Nairobi.
The unrest, which took place along the Kariobangi–Kiamaiko–Allsops stretch, spiralled into a dangerous confrontation, with police struggling to contain the two factions.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed groups of youth lighting fires along the busy highway, with sections attempting to intercept motorists trying to drive through.
According to witnesses, the unrest stemmed from an incident in which a suspected thief was killed by a mob in the Kiamaiko area. The incident triggered protests from members of the one local community, who took to the streets to air their grievances.
The protesters set up roadblocks and began attacking pedestrians and vehicles, prompting social media users to issue security alerts warning motorists to avoid Outering Road.
A rival group, whose identity remains unclear, engaged protesters from the rival community in violent clashes, effectively paralysing traffic along the busy road.
Adjacent areas, including the artery leading to Kariobangi and Allsops area, were rendered impassable for several hours, with irate youth blocking the roads as the clashes threatened to escalate further.
By Thursday afternoon, tensions remained high along Outering Road, with more anti-riot police being deployed to contain the situation.
The incident triggered protests from members of one community, who took to the streets to air their grievances.
Protesters reportedly set up roadblocks and began attacking pedestrians and vehicles, prompting social media users to issue security alerts warning motorists to avoid Outering Road.
"Avoid Outering Road, Kiamaiko, Kariobangi, and All Soaps Road areas. Rival youth are in a battle and motorists are getting robbed," one alert read.
A rival group, whose identity remains unclear, engaged protesters from the Somali community in violent clashes, effectively paralysing traffic along the busy road.
Adjacent areas, including the artery leading to Kariobangi and Allsops area, were rendered impassable for several hours, with irate youth blocking the roads as the clashes threatened to escalate further.
By Thursday afternoon, tensions remained high along Outering Road, with more anti-riot police being deployed to contain the situation.
The Outer Road is considered a hotspot in Nairobi as far as protests are concerned. During the June 25 protests, a major shoe shop along the busy highway was looted and set ablaze by protesters as demonstrations took a turn for the worse.
In the past, residents have also taken to the busy road to protest road accidents, which have also become prevalent, particularly around the Kariobangi stretch leading to Mutindwa.
