Thousands of passengers travelling between Nairobi and the western parts of the country have been stranded for the better part of two days due to worsening traffic congestion on the Nairobi–Nakuru and Nairobi–Narok highways.
The two highways, which are among the busiest in the country, have seen traffic come to a standstill, inconveniencing long-distance bus companies, public service vehicles, and private motorists.
The gridlock has come at a particularly difficult time for many families, as thousands of parents prepare to send their children back to school. Transporters warned that unless urgent measures are taken, the delays could disrupt travel plans for learners and other passengers.
According to the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LoDCA), indiscipline among motorists, particularly overlapping and failure to follow traffic rules, has worsened the situation. They also criticised the inadequate number of police officers deployed to manage the heavy traffic flow.
Heavy commercial trucks at weighbridges, especially around Gilgil, have further slowed movement along the busy highway. Drivers said that delays at these points, combined with poor traffic management, created a ripple effect that stretched for kilometres.
Spillover
On Sunday night, motorists were stranded for several hours along the Naivasha–Nakuru stretch, with traffic at a standstill from Naivasha Prisons to the Keroche area. The snarl-up persisted into Monday, with many drivers recounting how they were forced to spend the night on the roadside.
The rainy weather experienced in most parts of the country has worsened the situation, affecting road conditions and making already narrow sections of the highway more difficult to navigate.
Motorists have called on the government to urgently fast-track expansion and dualling plans for the highway. One frustrated road user lamented, “Stalled at Kijabe for three hours now. It took me 10 hours to drive from Gilgil to Nairobi yesterday. I am tired. President Ruto, please consider expanding this infrastructure.”
Travel Advisories
Bus companies have also issued travel advisories to their customers. Tahmeed Bus, in a statement, announced delays in departures and arrivals for both upcountry and Mombasa routes due to the severe congestion. The company urged passengers to remain at their pick-up points as scheduled, assuring them that alternative solutions were being explored.
Another notice issued to passengers confirmed that parcel and passenger services were also affected. “There will be a delay in arrival for passengers and parcels from upcountry to Mombasa and from Mombasa to upcountry occasioned by the traffic jam in Kijabe area,” the company stated.
The LoDCA expressed frustration at the situation, describing the highway chaos as unprecedented. “Tonight, it is total chaos between Nakuru and Nairobi on our major highways. No traffic movement between Soko Mjinga and Kimende on both sides,” the association said.
Road Upgrade
The situation has once again drawn attention to the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades (which the government has embarked on) on the Nairobi–Nakuru corridor, a lifeline route for trade, travel, and regional connectivity.
With school reopening around the corner and long-distance travellers still stranded, pressure is mounting on authorities to find both immediate and long-term solutions to Kenya’s recurring highway congestion crises.
“There is nothing as frustrating, distressing, and humiliating as being trapped in a standstill traffic jam at night — in Kimende, Gilgil, Mai Mahiu, Kapiti Plains, or anywhere else on our broken highways. Motorists, after paying billions in taxes and suffering endless extortion in bribes, are left to languish on narrow,
outdated roads, the government has shamelessly refused to expand,” the Motorists Association lamented.
“During the day, traffic police flood the roads – not to ease movement, but to harvest bribes. At night, when motorists most need order and safety, the same police vanish into comfort and sleep, abdicating their duty to the public. Accidents that spark gridlock are treated as an irritation to their soft lives rather than an emergency demanding swift action.”
