Motorists planning to use the Nairobi–Narok Highway can breathe a sigh of relief after a report dismissed claims purporting that a huge crack had developed along the road.
Media Observer, a publication of the Media Council of Kenya aimed at debunking fake news, termed the claims fake. The publication stated that there was no crack on the Nairobi–Narok highway in Suswa.
"There is no recent crack on the Nairobi–Narok Highway, and motorists on that route are not facing such disruptions," the agency clarified.
The clarification followed a viral image depicting a huge crack along a major highway in Kenya.
The image shared widely on various social media platforms earlier this week sparked debate among Kenyans, with some demanding intervention from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).
In the flagged image, motorists and pedestrians could be spotted stranded along the route even as engineers attempted to rectify the damage.
Meanwhile, in its clarification, Media Observer noted that the image that circulated earlier in the week was not of the Nairobi–Narok Highway in Suswa but of the Maai Mahiu–Narok Road.
According to the agency, the image was taken way back in 2020 when the Maai Mahiu–Narok Road was destroyed by flash floods.
It further stated that during the incident, the road developed a ten-meter-deep crack that cut off transport, prompting KeNHA officials to undertake emergency repairs, which were completed within four days.
"The photo matches April 2020 news coverage of the eroded section of the road and subsequent repairs; the photo was used out of context to falsely suggest current damage in Suswa," Media Observer clarified.
Nonetheless, the 2020 incident is not the first one to occur along the Mai Mahiu-Narok highway. In 2023, KeNHA closed the same road after another huge crack developed.
The crack halted transport along the road, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes. However, the road was later rehabilitated, allowing free movement of people.
