The government has issued a 30-day notice to traders and businesses operating on road reserves along national highways, warning them to remove all unlawful structures, billboards, advertisements, and directional signs.
The government, through the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), in a notice published on Tuesday November 25, announced that the continued encroachment onto road reserves is a major concern that has continued to put road users at risk.
The authority in the notice issued by the acting Director General Luka Kimeli directed all owners of unapproved or unrenewed billboards, advertisements, directional signs, and other structures on road reserves to remove them within thirty days from the date of the notice.
“All persons with unlawful structures, businesses, developments, including unapproved and unrenewed billboards, advertisements and directional signs on road reserves are hereby required to remove them within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice,” read part of the notice.
KeNHA warned that failure to comply will result in enforcement action, including demolition of the structures and recovery of related costs.
“Failure to comply will lead to enforcement action, including demolition and recovery of related costs, without further notice to the owners or agents of the said unapproved structures or unrenewed billboards.”
However, the authority urged affected persons to seek clarification from KeNHA if they had any reservations on the exercise, which it said is part of ongoing efforts to safeguard road safety and ensure free passage along national highways.
In August this year, five Kenyans appeared before a Mombasa Law Court and pleaded guilty to encroachment following a case filed by the authority.
According to court proceedings, KeNHA revealed that the five had ignored several notices to vacate a road reserve along the Mombasa–Nairobi highway issued in April.
"The accused failed to comply with vacation notices from the road reserve issued on April 4, 2025, by ALEHU Coast Region officers along the Mombasa – Nairobi Highway (A8) Road," KeNHA stated.
"Their actions violated Section 49(1) (a), as read with Section 49(6), of the Kenya Roads Act, No. 2 of 2007. The Authority emphasises the importance of strictly complying with land-use regulations in a bid to protect public infrastructure and prevent future encroachments."
Meanwhile, the developments come just a few days after the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) in September announced plans to take down signboards and unlawful installations along the Eastern Bypass Corridor.
According to the agency, the structures not only compromised the aesthetic value of the urban landscape but also posed a significant danger to motorists and pedestrians.
