Nairobi residents and motorists have been advised to prepare for considerable traffic disruptions on Thursday, August 7, ahead of African Nations Championships (CHAN) Group A matches.
On Thursday, the Democratic Republic of Congo will take on Zambia at the Nyayo Stadium from 3pm while Harambee Stars will be up against Angola in the second round of matches at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani from 7pm.
Ahead of the two games, the Nairobi County traffic department announced several road closures and diversions in key areas around the city to manage anticipated crowds and ensure smooth operations during the games.
One of the affected roads is the Aerodrome Road, which will be closed from the Madaraka Roundabout up to Bunyala Roundabout.
Lang'ata Road will also be closed from the Madaraka Roundabout to the Lusaka Roundabout on one side, while Mombasa Road will be closed from Lusaka Roundabout to Bunyala Roundabout on one side.
To minimise inconvenience, alternative routes have been provided, with motorists travelling along Mombasa Road towards the Nairobi Central Business District advised to use Likoni-Enterprise Road at General Motors. The motorists can alternatively use the Southern Bypass at Ole Sereni.
Similarly, those coming from Lang'ata Road to the CBD have been urged to use Raila Odinga Road or Muhoho Road at Mbagathi Roundabout.
Meanwhile, motorists travelling from Nairobi CBD along Thika Roa to Juja or Thika have been encouraged to use Limuru Road or Kiambu Road as alternatives since the the Kasarani area is expected to have a mammoth crowd from the afternoon to watch the Kenya-Angola game.
Matatus who will be ferrying passengers to Kasarani will have to take the Ruaraka Baba-Ndogo Road and Ngomongo Road, diverting through Ngomongo Roundabout to arrive at their destination conveniently.
Motorists and passengers heading from Thika towards the CBD have been recommended Limuru Road, Kiambu Road, or the Eastern Bypass as alternative routes unless they are specifically heading to the Kasarani Stadium.
A similar traffic announcement was issued on Saturday, August 2, when Kenya took on the DRC at the same venue. Benni McCarthy's side secured a 1-0 victory, with the other game at Nyayo Stadium seeing tournament favourites Morocco beat Angola 2-0.
At the time, there was smooth transition of vehicles and human traffic to and from both stadiums, presumably because it was a weekend and Harambee Stars' game was played in the afternoon.
